Hazy Clarity
by TiedToReality
Summary: Ed is stuck in a time loop and has to go through the same day repeatedly. Each time he is forced to witness Al dying in a different way. Now, it is up to him to figure out what's going on and find the one road that will break the cycle. He only hopes they'll make it out alive. Rated T for Violence and Language.
1. Day One

**I got the idea for writing this after listening to Kagerou days on repeat. I wondered what Ed would do if he was in a similar situation. Thus, this was born. Thank you Kagerou days for the inspiration! **

** Disclaimer: I can't draw like the one and only Arakawa**

Ed groaned as he was pulled from his peaceful sleep. He yawned and opened his eyes. He looked around the room. There was some dirty laundry that he meant to get to lying on the floor. He glanced over to the bed across from him and saw Al was still asleep. 'That's funny, since when do I wake up before him?' Ed asked himself. With a groan he swung his legs over to the side of his bed and got up. He looked towards the calendar that hung above the dresser. It read July 20th. He sighed, remembering that last night he had gotten a call from Mustang telling him to come in for a mission in the morning.

Ed couldn't wait until he was out of the military. He had one more year to go and then his State Alchemist license would expire. He had no need to be in the military anymore. After all, he found the philosopher stone and got Al back to normal. They wanted to move back to Resembool, but until Ed was out of the military, they couldn't. For the meantime they shared a small, simple apartment close to Central Headquarters. Ed went over to the dresser and grabbed some clean clothes. He saw movement from where Al lay. "Morning." Ed said. He got a mumble in reply. A minute later Al bolted out of bed, startling Ed.

"What time is it!?" He asked frantically.

Ed grabbed his pocket watch that rested on his bedside table. "Eight-thirty." He told Al.

Al gasped and ran to the dresser. "I can't believe I slept in so late! Ugh where are my pants?" He asked as he removed clothes at the speed of light looking for the missing article.

Ed chuckled. "Al, eight-thirty is not late at all. Relax. And they're over in that pile." Ed said, pointing to the mess of clothes on the floor.

"Brother you still haven't washed anything?" Al asked, slightly irritated.

Ed let out a nervous laugh. "Well I've been pretty busy. Blame Mustang and his damn missions." Ed complained.

"Fine brother, even though it's your turn I'll wash them for you today. However next time you're doing it no matter what." Al said, giving Ed a glare to let him know he meant business.

Ed gulped. "I-I will I p-promise." Ed stuttered. That glare always made him nervous.

Al walked over to the unwashed pair of pants and with a sigh, slid them over his boxers. 'It's better than nothing.' Al told himself. Ed walked over to the big mirror on the wall and picked up his hairbrush. He brushed his hair and placed it into his signature braid.

"What time do you have to be at headquarters?" Al asked, reaching over for his small comb. Since he had short hair he didn't see the point of having a big brush.

"Nine." Ed replied.

Al dropped his comb. "Brother! You're going to be late!" Al exclaimed. Ed shrugged it off, not caring if he was on time for that bastard. Al grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door. "Hey, I didn't get to slide my coat on!" Ed whined.

Al glared at him and he shut his mouth. "This is my fault, if I had woken up sooner you wouldn't be late." Al whispered.

Ed looked over at him worriedly. "Al, don't blame yourself. It's my damn fault for not setting an alarm. It's my responsibility, not yo-" He was cut off with Al shouting "Kitty!" Ed turned around to see what Al was looking at. There on the grass a small cat sat with brown fur and black spots sat cleaning itself. Al walked over slowly to it. "Al leave the cat alone. What about all that you said about getting to headquarters on time?" Ed asked.

"But, but,but..." Al pouted.

Ed laughed. "Fine Al you can carry it until we get there." Ed suggested.

Als eyes lit up like a lamp. "You mean it!?" He asked excitedly.

"Yeah, why not? Just don't bring it inside. Some people are allergic." Ed explained. Al nodded and went over to pick up the cat.

He reached out his hands and the cat gladly jumped into his arms. No surprise, Al always was good with animals. Al smiled and pet its fur as they continued walking.

"It sure is hot today." Ed mumbled.

"I know, I don't really like the summertime when it's this hot." Al said. Ed reached out to pet the cat only to receive a loud meow and a scratch. "Brother! Are you okay?" Al asked.

"I'm fine it's just a scratch." Ed reassured. The cat started struggling in Als grip. It got loose and ran into the street.

"No wait! He won't hurt you I promise!" Al shouted as he ran after it.

"Hey Al get back here!" Ed shouted, running to get him. Suddenly a truck turned the corner and Al didn't have time to react. He released a horrifying scream as the truck hit him hard. He fell down instantly. Blood splattered everywhere. On the truck, street, and part of Eds clothes. Ed stared in absolute horror, trying to process what just happened. He took in one breath of air, smelling the blood and nearly vomited. "A-Al?" He stuttered. Tears ran down his face the more he looked at Als dead body. Bystanders looked at what happened in shock. The truck driver got out to see what happened. Ed couldn't take this. No, not Al. He had just gotten back to normal! He couldn't be dead, he just couldn't be!

"What you see is exactly what you're gonna get." A voice from behind him said. Ed jumped and turned to see...himself? No, it wasn't him. He looked like him but he wore an evil grin and a black coat. "W-what do you mean?" Ed asked. He only got a smirk in reply. Soon, everything went to black. Ed woke up startled. Sweat covered his entire body and he was panting. He looked over and saw Al sleeping peacefully. He took in a big sigh of relief. "It was just a dream." He said as he relaxed. He felt something wet on his face. At first he thought it was sweat but then realized it was tears. 'Dumbass, don't cry over a dream.' He told himself. He looked up at the calendar. July 20th. He had to be at headquarters for his mission soon.

Al was still fast asleep. Ed didn't want to wake him up but if he didn't Al would get mad. With a sigh he walked over and shook him. "Al wake up, I have to be at headquarters soon." Ed said.

Al mumbled and woke up. "Morning brother." He said with a yawn.

When his eyes opened up all the way Ed felt completely relieved. 'You're fine, you're alive. Thank gates.' Ed told himself.

"Brother, are you okay? You're all sweaty." Al said. Leave it to Al to observe everything the second he wakes up.

Ed sighed. "I'm fine Al. Come on lets get ready." They got dressed and headed out the door. This time Ed had time to slide on his coat and they wouldn't be late. As they walked towards headquarters something bothered Ed. A small brown cat with black spots ran by.

**Let me know if you'd be interested in seeing this story continue. Thanks for reading! ^^ **


	2. Day Two

**Oh my gosh thank you so much for the feedback! I could write a paragraph telling you how grateful I am, but that's not what you're here for. Onto the story!**

** Disclaimer: I am only a fan**

As Al and Ed walked closer to headquarters Ed had an uneasy feeling. Every time they had to cross the street, he grabbed Als arm and ran as fast as he could across.

Al didn't question it until the third time they had to cross the street. "Brother, stop it! Whats gotten into you?" He asked.

Ed panted catching his breath. "What do you mean Al?" He asked, playing dumb.

Al sighed. "Ed if something's bothering you, you can always tell me." Al reassured.

"There's nothing to tell. Come on, headquarters is right over there." Ed said, pointing to the big building across from them. Al sighed and decided he would drop it. For now at least.

When they were safe inside Ed let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. Al gave him a look that read "I know somethings up." Ed pretended he didn't see that. Hawkeye saw them and walked over.

"Hello Edward, Alphonse. The Colonel has been waiting for you." She explained.

Ed groaned, he didn't want to go on a mission and leave Al alone. "Thanks, I'll go see what life threatening job it is now." Ed said as he waved goodbye to her. Al followed behind Ed still watching him. "Al I feel you staring at me." Ed mumbled.

"Are you feeling okay? You did wake up sweaty. Maybe you've got a fever." Al thought out loud.

Ed sighed. "Drop it Al." He said sternly.

"But bro-" "Drop it!" Ed interrupted raising his voice. He turned around to face Al. Al looked hurt and he instantly regretted yelling. "I'm sorry. Just, leave it alone." Ed said. He turned back to where he was and, after a walk of silence, reached Mustangs office. 'Lets get this over with.' Ed thought as he swung open the door roughly.

"I'm starting to believe it could kill you to be nice to the door." Mustang said, not even looking up from his paperwork.

Great. The first second and Ed was already pissed off. "Well maybe if you didn't have me come in here every damn day the door would be fine." Ed snapped back.

Mustang did his signature smirk and then motioned for Ed to have a seat. Ed sat down and frowned. Al sent Mustang an apologetic look and sat down next to him. Ed just wanted to get this over with.

"I have a mission for you." Mustang said.

"No shit." Ed replied sarcastically.

"Language." Al whispered.

"So are you going to tell me what it is or not?" Ed asked, growing impatient.

"I'm just making sure you can hear me from all the way down there." Mustang teased.

Ed shot up from his seat. "WHO YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT THEY CAN'T EVEN HEAR FROM AN INCH AWAY!?" Ed exploded.

"That's not what I said." Mustang said smirking. Ed knew he enjoyed teasing him way too much. Bastard.

Mustang cleared his throat and Ed sat back down. "A serial killer has been going around. She breaks into peoples homes, robs them, and then murders anybody that was in there. She impales them with metal so we know her weapons are poles. We have a lead of where she might be hiding out. I want you to go there and scout the area. If you find anything report to me immediately, and my team and I will handle the rest." Mustang instructed.

Ed sighed, just another boring scouting mission. Then again at least it would be easy. "Alright I've got it." Ed said. Mustang tossed him a piece of paper with the extra boring details on it. Ed stood up and walked over to the door.

"Goodbye sir." Al said and then followed Ed out.

The walk back was hard for Ed. As much as he wanted to grab Al and run across, he couldn't do that. Al was already suspicious of him, he didn't need more attention to himself. He did however make sure Al was always in front of him when crossing. When they got back to the apartment complex Ed and Al walked up the stairs to the third floor. The walk was long and silent until Al finally stopped Ed half way.

"Did you have a nightmare that someone got hit by a car?" Al asked.

Ed cursed under his breath. "Why can't you just drop it?" He asked, not looking at Al directly.

Al took a few steps closer to Ed. "Because I ca-" Suddenly, Al lost his balance and slipped.

Ed gasped and reached out to grab Al. Als hand slipped through his and he fell down. "AL!" Ed shouted. When Al landed there was a terrible cracking sound. Blood dripped on the walls and stairs. Ed couldn't believe this. Was this a dream or did this really happen? He ran down the flight of stairs to get to Als side. "Oh gates please, please don't die." Ed reached for his wrist and felt for a pulse. When he didn't feel anything he let out a sob. This just couldn't be happening. He tried so hard to protect him!

"I bet you wish you were asleep, but it's not a dream." A voice said. When Ed looked up his eyes widened. There was the person that looked like him again.

"W-who are you? Why are you doing this!?" Ed asked. He stood to his feet and tried to punch them but they dodged. They laughed and soon everything went black again.

Ed woke up startled. His eyes widened. 'It happened again. What the hell is going on?' Ed asked himself. He looked up at the calendar. "July 20th. He knew he had to be at headquarters soon. This was too insane. If this wasn't a dream then... "Oh hell no." Ed said as he slid on his clothes. He tripped over his boots due to his fast pace.

Al woke up and looked at him. "Brother what are you doing?" He asked.

"Going to headquarters." Ed said as he dusted himself off. That, and he was going to try to get answers.

Al yawned and got out of bed. "I'll go wi-"

"NO AL!" Ed shouted, startling Al. "Stay here and don't leave this apartment no matter what." Ed ordered. "But I-" "NO BUTS! Please, just, promise me you'll stay here." Ed said, lowering his head so his bangs could hide his eyes.

"Alright brother, I promise. When you get back will you tell me what this is about?" Al asked.

Ed finally looked up from the floor to face Al. "Sure, as long as you promise not to laugh." Ed bargained.

"I would never laugh at something that's bothering you." Al replied.

Ed slid on his coat and opened the door. Before he walked out he glanced at Al. 'I will protect you. I promise.' He walked out and shut the door, ready for whatever was next.

**Updates will be every Friday if not sooner. Please leave a review and I'll see you at the next chapter! ^^ **


	3. Day Three

**Thank you so much for the reviews/favorites/follows it motivates me a lot! ^^ It's Friday so that means a new update woot woot! **

**Disclaimer: Nope :c **

'There has to be a reason for this. How did I get stuck in this repeating loop? Why is it happening? Why is Al the only one being killed?' Those questions raced through Eds mind. He needed a clue or something that could help him put this together. He walked down the sidewalk deep in thought when the familiar feline came into view. 'I wonder if that little guy is a clue.' Ed thought. He slowly approached the small feline, earning a hiss in return. "Here kitty, I won't hurt you I promise." Ed reached out his hand to softly pet it. The cat didn't like that one bit. It released a loud growling sound and scratched his hand. It turned around and ran into the street.

Ed took a deep breath. 'Either I'm a dumbass, or a genius.' Was all Ed thought before running into the street after it. He needed to know if he'd get hit, or if what's causing this only wanted Al dead. The cat crossed the street safely, but a car was headed straight for Ed. He clenched his fist and stood there, prepared to get hit. "Hey, watch out!" Someone shouted. Eds arm was suddenly grabbed and he was yanked from the street.

"Are you insane?" A female voice asked. Ed looked up and saw a lady who looked to be in her mid-twenties. She had brown curly hair pulled into a ponytail and green eyes.

Ed looked back at the car and saw it stopped a few feet away from him, making this womans effort at saving him unnecessary. 'So I wouldn't of been killed. Interesting.' Ed thought until he was shaken from his thoughts.

"Hey are you okay? Say something!" The lady shouted.

Ed blinked and snapped out of it "Sorry. Thanks for saving me." He thanked. She let go of his arm and crossed her own.

"Geez, stupid kids these days." She muttered.

Ed glared at her. "Hey, I'm not a kid!" He retorted.

"How old are you?" She asked.

"Seventeen!" Ed replied.

"The legal adult age is eight-teen. You're a kid." She concluded.

Ed clenched his fist. What was her problem? "Okay maybe by age, but I'm in the military!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his state alchemist pocket watch.

"You're that Fullmetal kid aren't you?" She asked.

Ed sighed and put his watch back in. "Call me Ed not "kid"."

"Whatever kid, just keep your eyes on the road will ya?" She asked.

Ed let out an annoyed sigh. "Fine, fine, call me kid I don't give a fu-" Ed stopped himself from cursing when he noticed a little girl was hiding behind the lady.

The girl saw him looking at her and tried to hide better. Ed laughed. "I won't hurt you I promise." He said and got on his knees. She peeked out and looked at him then hid again.

"Reina say hi." The lady told her. The girl waved timidly.

Ed smiled and waved back. He stood back on his checked his pocket watch for the time. "Aw crap I'm going to be late. Bye and really thanks for saving me." Ed thanked.

"It's nothing just be more careful." She said. Ed nodded and waved one last time before running to Headquarters.

He said hello to Hawkeye then made his way to the office. He opened it and sat down on the couch.

"I'm surprised the door isn't broken today." Mustang said while signing his name on some paperwork.

Ed sighed, he didn't have time to argue with him. "So what's the mission?" Ed asked. He knew what it was but he had to act as if this day never happened before. Mustang stopped writing and looked at explained the mission and Ed nodded and pretended to give a damn.

"Is that all?" Ed asked once Mustang finished the summary.

"Yes. You are dismissed Fullmetal." Ed got up and was about to open the door but stopped himself.

"Something the matter?" Mustang asked.

Ed sighed and sat back down. "There's something I need to ask you." Ed said, not wasting any time.

"Go ahead."Mustang said.

Ed took in a deep breath. "Is there a form of alchemy that can affect time?" Ed asked.

Mustang was silent for a moment, most likely thinking it over. "Some high level alchemist can stop time to attack their opponent. It usually can only stop time for five seconds at most. Other than that, I don't think there is." Mustang told him.

"So it's not possible to repeat something over and over?" Ed asked.

Mustang looked a bit puzzled. "No, that's only in the books."

Ed sighed, it was worth a shot. "I see. Thanks." Ed got up to open the door.

"Fullmetal." Mustang said, causing Ed to turn around.

"What now?" Ed asked.

Mustang pulled out an index card and wrote something down on it. Ed walked over to his desk and took it once it was given to him. Written on it was the location to a spot in the library. It also had Mustangs signature at the bottom. "There are some books on rare alchemy in that section. You might find something to help you out. Just give that paper to the librarian and she will let you look." Mustang said.

Ed smiled, Mustang may be a bastard but at least he could rely on him. "Thanks a lot." Ed practically flew out the door. When it came to reading about new types of alchemy nothing was more exciting to him. When he reached the library he handed the librarian the paper. Sure enough he was allowed access.

"Screw it!" Ed cursed and slammed a book down. He had gone through piles of books but still came out dry. No clues, no similarities, nothing. The librarian shushed him for his outburst. 'Why can't I find anything? There has to be something! Maybe I'm just going insane. Maybe I'm awake now and it was all a dream inside a dream.' Ed wondered. He checked his pocket watch to see the time. His eyes widened at the realization that it was almost seven in the evening. 'Crap! Al's probably worried sick!'

Ed hurriedly put away the books he had read and checked out ones he didn't. He rushed back to the apartment complex. He nearly tripped twice on the stairs due to the weight of the books. Finally he reached their apartment. He swung the door open. "Sorry I took so long Al I-" Ed dropped all the books he was holding and stared in horror. There on the floor Al was stabbed to death with metal poles. "No,no,no,no! DAMN THIS, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" Ed shouted, punching holes in the wall. As sad as he was that Al was dead he was now more angry. Whatever was messing with their lives was going to pay!

He heard laughter and turned around. He wasn't surprised to see his clone. "You, you're doing this aren't you? Why!? What did we do!? What did Al do!? Leave us the hell alone!" Ed clone laughed and everything was going slowly to black. "No, not this time! I don't want to repeat this! You answer me right now, why is this happening!?" Ed asked. It kept getting darker. Soon he couldn't see the room. "Answer me!" Ed shouted. There was the laughter and then he felt the clone grab his shoulder.

His clone laughed again and in a deep voice said, "Welcome to the Haze." Ed couldn't fight it after that and succumbed to the darkness.


	4. Day Four

**Hey guys, guess what? I've hired an editor! :D Now the chapters should have better grammar. Thanks for the feedback for the last chapter :3 Now enough of me rambling and onto the story! **

** Disclaimer: A dream is a wish your heart makes. Owning FMA is only a dream. **

Ed jolted awake for what felt like the hundredth time. He was laced with sweat and panting heavily. 'Damn, he got away again.' He glanced over at Al and sighed. If he brought him to work he would die, and if he left him home he would still die! This was getting impossible. 'How the hell am I supposed to protect him!?' he asked himself before burying his face in his hands. All of this was starting to put a heavy strain on him. He wouldn't allow himself to cry. He had to use all of his wits and strength to protect his little brother. Crying wouldn't solve anything.

_ "Welcome to the Haze." _Those words cycled through his mind. 'What did he mean by that?' Ed pondered on it for a good five minutes then groaned in defeat. 'I can't think of anything! Haze pretty much sums up how I feel but it doesn't explain what's going on!' Finally he let loose a loud groan and slammed his fist on the mattress. He gasped when he realized how loud he was. Surely Al would be awoken from that.

Sure enough, when he turned his head to look, Al was rubbing his eyes. "Brother, are you okay?" he asked sleepily.

"Go back to sleep Al," Ed ordered.

Al gave him a puzzled look. "You know I can't do that. Why are you shouting?" he asked as he swung his legs to the side of the bed.

Ed put on his facade and smiled. "It's nothing Al." he lied.

Al glared at him and crossed his arms. "Brother, what's wrong?" he asked again.

Ed gulped. When it came to Al his facade rarely worked. "It's nothing, honest." he lied.

Al sighed. "Why do you always have to be so stubborn? I'm just trying to help," Al told him.

Ed felt a bit bad for lying to Al, but what was he supposed to do? Say 'Hey, you've been dying for the past four days?' He'd sound insane. "I know you are, and I appreciate it. Really, I do, but there's nothing wrong."

Al glared at him one more time then released his arms from the tight fold. "Alright. You can tell me whenever you're comfortable talking about it." Ed let out a breath of relief. He was happy that Al was dropping it. For now, at least.

"You have to be at Headquarters soon, right? What time is it?" Al asked.

'Crap. I don't want to go to work and leave Al here. Maybe if I hurry home and don't waste time at the library I can make it before he gets killed,' Ed thought. It seemed like a good enough plan, and he hoped it would work. "Don't worry about the time. I'll get dressed quick and leave. I want you to stay here and don't leave the apartment unless it's an emergency." Ed explained. To him, emergency meant to run from a serial killer.

"Um, okay," Al agreed. Ed slid on his clothes and coat. He looked at Al and feared for his safety. He then looked at the closet.

'Maybe I should do it, just in case,' he thought. He shook his head. 'Idiot. you can't do that, then Al would suspect you too much!' While Ed continued having this internal conflict, Al sat watching him with worry. Ed remembered what Al looked like impaled with poles. He closed his eyes tightly; that memory alone was enough to make him choose. He walked to the closet and pulled out a gun that was hidden under a shoe box.

Al jumped a bit when Ed brought it out. "Brother, what on earth are you doing with that?" he asked, growing uneasy.

Ed walked over to Al and frowned when he backed away. "I'm not going to hurt you Al, I swear," he promised.

"I know," Al said under his breath then walked forward.

Ed grabbed his hand and placed the gun in it. "Don't be afraid to use this if something happens." Before Al could question him he ran out the door. 'Idiot, idiot, idiot! He's probably so confused and worried now! Dumbass,' Ed cursed himself. He ran down the street. Not much farther to go; he was already close to headquar- "Brother!"

Eds eyes widened at the familiar voice. 'No, don't tell me Al followed me out here.' he panicked and turned around. To his dismay, there Al was panting and chasing him. "Al, go back home, right now!" Ed shouted. He had to get Al safe; out here was too dangerous!

"I won't! Please just tell me what's going on!" he shouted back. Bystanders watched the display, intrigued. Ed was starting to panic. He looked around and saw opportunities for death all over the place. He could be hit by a car. Up above workers performed construction on nearby buildings; he could be hit by a falling hammer! "AL! GO BACK RIGHT NOW!"

Ed didn't like the way his voice sounded. It sounded frantic and desperate. It was how he felt, but he didn't want Al to know that. Then again he probably already did.

Al picked up his pace. "Just tell me and we can work this out! Pl-" The two gasped at the same time. A sewer hole didn't have the cover on. Al tried to keep his balance but to no avail. With a scream he fell down.

"AL!" Ed shouted and ran to his aid. When he looked down he could've screamed. Al's face got severely scratched by the ladder and his neck was snapped. "TO HELL WITH THIS!" Ed screamed. Bystanders gasped. Ed turned and saw,to no surprise, his copy. "STOP DOING THIS! LEAVE US ALONE!" The bystanders looked at Ed as if he was crazy. Ed wondered if they couldn't see the clone.

His clone smirked. "I can't do that. As long as you're here I have to do my job."

"WHAT JOB!? WHERE AM I!? TELL ME!" Ed demanded. "I told you last time." With that, it all went black.

When Ed woke up he jumped out of his bed and got dressed. He'd had enough of this. He had to do more investigating, but how? If he left Al here he'd die and if he took Al, he'd die. If only he had someone to watch him. Ed stopped what he was doing and thought about that. Perhaps someone watching him wouldn't be a bad idea. There was a small day care not too far from the apartment. Ed slapped himself. 'They wouldn't watch him and Al would hate it; he's sixteen!' He told himself. 'Then again, Al had been wanting to find a part-time job.' He's good with people, so maybe he could ask if he could work.

"Hey Al, wake up, I think I've got a job for you". Ed said.

Al woke up and rubbed his eyes. "You do?" he asked.

"You know that daycare not too far from here? How about you volunteer to help?" Ed asked.

Al bolted out of bed. "That's a great idea! Do you think they'll let me?" he asked.

"It's only one woman running the entire thing. I think she will be grateful for the help," Ed explained. Perfect. He would feel a lot better about investigating if Al were in a place safe enough for children. The only trouble would be getting there safely. Once they were done getting dressed they went on their way.

"Brother, I can go on my own, you should go to work," Al suggested.

'Hell no," Ed thought. "Nah, it's fine Al, I'd rather come with you," Ed replied.

Al smiled. "If you're sure."

The walk there wasn't too bad. Ed was cautious and looked all around for anything dangerous. There were a few times Al almost fell into traps. When Al came across the cat he wanted to carry it. Ed told him no and they continued. As they continued Al got distracted talking and almost walked into the street. Ed grabbed him just in time. Thanks to Ed they finally arrive at the day care alive. Outside of it there were a few kids running around and playing. The small building was yellow with a blue roof. Surrounding the building was a white fence with a gate. It had a rainbow sign that said "Rainbow daycare."

The woman spotted them and walked over. "Hello, how may I help you too?" she asked.

"I was wondering If I could volunteer here. I mean help you out. I mean..." Al trailed off. Ed sighed; Al always acted like a goofball when he was nervous.

"That's a wonderful idea! I could really use the help, especially with all the kids coming here these days," she said. Al's eyes lit up.

"Really?" he asked. She nodded.

"Come with me, I'll show you the schedule and how I run things. Oh, my name is Elizabeth Gottlieb, but you can call me Elsi. The kids call me Mrs. Elsi. And you are?" she asked.

"I'm Alphonse Elric," Al said and shook her hand.

"Alphonse Elric? Edward Elric's brother?" she asked. Ed cleared his throat and she looked at him. "Oh, I didn't see you there, I'm sorry."

"WHO YOU CALLING SO SHORT YOU CAN'T SEE ME NEXT TO MY LITTLE BROTHER!?" Ed exploded.

Al sighed. "Sorry about him, he's really sensitive about his height," he explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I meant no offense to you," Elsi apologized.

"Whatever," Ed mumbled. Elsi smiled, "It's a pleasure to meet both of you."

After she had said that a lady and girl walked in. "One moment you two," Elsi said and walked past them to the people that walked in. "Hello Reina, it's good to see you today!" She said cheerfully.

'Reina...that sounds-' Ed cut off his thoughts when he turned around to look. His eyes widened at the sight of the lady that had saved him, and Reina standing behind her. He almost said hi but stopped himself. 'I'm a dumbass, that was two repeats ago. They don't know me now,' Ed told himself.

After Elsi was done checking Reina in she walked back to them. "Alright come with me Alphonse, I'll show you what I do," she said and held out her hand for him to grab.

Ed waved. "I'm gonna go to Headquarters, later Al."

"Bye Brother, see you soon!" Al bade him goodbye then followed Elsi.

When Ed turned to leave, the lady was there. He ignored her and walked past her outside the gate. She followed.

"Hey kid," she said. Ed's eyes widened. Was she... no. That couldn't be it.

"Me?" he asked, not turning to face her.

"Try to keep your eyes on the road." Those words she said hit Ed like a ton of bricks. This couldn't be happening. They met on a different repeat! The day started over, therefore she wouldn't've met him. Maybe she just said that to every teenager she came across. No, it seemed too unlikely.

"Y-you..." Ed stuttered. Could it be that someone else knew that the day was repeating? Did he have an ally? He had so many questions. When he turned around to ask, she was gone.

**Please review if you enjoyed ^^**


	5. Day Five

**Thank you for the feedback; it means a lot! Also big shout out to my amazing editor. ^^ **

**Disclaimer: When pigs fly**

"Hello brother," Al welcomed him. It was five o' clock which meant that the daycare was closing. Al was helping Elsi escort kids to their parents. Once they were done, Al ran over to Ed. Ed gave Al a weary smile.

"Hey Al, did you like working here?" Ed asked. While Al explained what he had done, Ed was busy thinking about the previous events.

_ "Hey! Where' did you go?" Ed asked. He ran around the corner and looked into the crowd. There was no sign of the lady. 'Damn, I can't let her get away! I won't be able to live with myself if I let that happen,' he thought and continued running. _

_ He checked around the daycare and nearby buildings. Reluctantly, Ed had to give up the search for now. He had to go see Mustang about his mission. As much as he wanted to forget it, he couldn't; he had to continue acting like the day wasn't repeating. _

_ On the way to headquarters, Ed continued keeping an eye out for her. He saw a lady with brown hair and ran after her. To his dismay it wasn't the same person. He apologized and said he mistook her for someone else. When he entered headquarters, he thought of a plan. If the day repeated again, which he was sure it would, when they go to the daycare he would not let her out of his sight. He would pull her aside and ask questions and find out what she knows. It seemed like a good enough plan. With a sigh he opened Mustang's office door and got prepared to hear the same mission again. _

"Brother, are you listening?" Al questioned.

Ed was instantly pulled from his thoughts. "Sorry Al," he apologized.

"It's okay. Do you think that tomorrow I can come work here again?" Al asked.

'If there is a tomorrow.' Ed thought. "I don't see why not," he replied.

Al walked to Elsi and informed her that he would return tomorrow. After that he walked up to Ed. "So what did Mustang want?"

Ed groaned. "Just some boring scouting mission," he explained.

"I see. When do you have to go?" Al wondered.

"Tomorrow," Ed explained.

Al fixed his gaze to the ground "So soon?"

Ed noticed that Al was a bit disheartened by the news. "Hey, it should only take a day or two; I'll be back before you know it! Besides, you won't be alone. You have all these kids to keep you company," he said.

Al looked up and smiled. "I suppose you're right. Are you hungry? There's a new diner that opened up near the train station."

Ed gulped. The train station was extremely dangerous. "How about we go to that Xingese restaurant near headquarters?"

Al frowned a bit. "We always go there; don't you want to try something new?"

'Yes, I'm sick of that restaurant.' Ed thought. If he was being honest he would've told Al that. However, there were just too many ways Al could die near the train station. What if he chased a cat and followed it onto the tracks? What if they got lost and Al thought the restaurant was across the tracks? He shuddered; he couldn't let that happen.

"Not really; I love that place," he lied.

Al sent him a look. "You don't sound very enthusiastic," he observed.

With a sigh, Ed grabbed Al's arm and started dragging him to the Xingese restaurant. "Let's go before there's a long line."

Al sighed. "Fine brother, you win. Next time can we go to the new restaurant?" He asked.

Ed nodded. "Yeah, of course!" With that they continued on their way. When they crossed streets Ed would make sure Al was in front of him. Since he was being more subtle and not dragging him across, Al didn't notice Ed was concerned. He let out a faint breath of relief when they entered the restaurant.

A Xingese waitress spotted them and walked over. "Welcome to Shíwù. Would you like a table or booth?" She asked.

"Boo-" "Table." Al interrupted Ed. He sent Al a look and bumped his arm. Al looked up apologetically.

"Okay then." Ed mumbled. The waitress led them to their table. Once seated, Ed glared at the contents on the table. More specifically, he glared at the sharp silverware placed on it. He saw a sharp knife close to Al.

'Not good. If he accidentally slips up while cutting he could injure or kill himself.' Ed examined the sharp ridges on the knife. He looked up at Al who was ordering his food. He hid his hands under the table and clapped softly. He then subtly reached over and touched the knife. A small blue wave appeared and then the knife was smooth.

Al saw the familiar blue light through the corner of his eye and looked over. "Did you transmute something?" He asked.

Ed cursed inwardly. "What?" He asked. He scanned the menu pretending to be deciding on what to order.

Al shrugged and continued ordering. Once they were done placing their orders, Al continued where he left off talking about the day care. This time Ed paid close attention. Every once and a while, during the conversation, he would look around to make sure there was nothing dangerous.

After half an hour of talking the waitress walked over. "Here you go, I hope you enjoy," She said; placing the food on the table.

"Thanks." They said at the same time. Ed gulped when Al reached for his knife. He tried to cut his chicken, but to no avail. "Odd, this knife isn't working." Al said.

'Shit, I hope he doesn't figure out I'm responsible for it.' Ed thought.

After a few more attempts at cutting Al sighed. "I'm gonna go ask for a new one." Al said.

Before he could stand up Ed stopped him. "Don't go through all that trouble. Just use your fork." Ed suggested.

Al starting using his fork but grew frustrated. Finally he'd had enough. He clapped his hands and transmuted the knife back to normal. "Much better." Al said and continued eating.

Ed slapped his forehead. 'So much for that plan.' He told himself.

Al looked over at him. "You okay?" He asked.

Ed started eating. "Yeah, everything's fine." Thankfully, Al didn't get hurt at all. After they were done, Ed paid and then they headed out. Once outside Ed looked up and saw something he hadn't been able to enjoy in a while: the night sky. There weren't many stars, due to the city lights, but at that moment nothing was more beautiful to Ed. Maybe, just maybe, the day wouldn't repeat.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Al asked. Ed almost jumped; he had forgotten that he was in public.

"Yeah, it is. Do you remember back in Resembool when we would go star gazing with Winry?" Ed asked.

Al nodded. "Of course, I could never forget that. Mom always held a light up for us so that we would find our way home," he said. Resembool. Ed was really starting to miss that place.

Especially now, since he wasn't getting any closer to being out of the military. He sighed. why was the world being so cruel? It just wasn't fair that he was stuck in this loop. And of all things, why did he have to see Al die?

"Lets go home Al." Ed said. Of course by home he meant their apartment. Home was Resembool, but they were a long way from it. As they were walking back Ed's head suddenly started hurting. He grabbed it and let out a groan. The pain grew worse and he fell to the ground.

"BROTHER! Are you okay!?" Al asked and immediately rushed to his side.

Ed gave a weak smile. "I'm fi-" he couldn't finish what he was saying due to a stronger bolt of pain. His grip tightened; the world around him was becoming blurry. He couldn't stay awake and fell unconscious. Suddenly Ed started remembering something. It was faint but he could make out three jumbled sentences. _"Fullmetaldon'tgothatway!" "Stopitdon'ttouchhisbloodseal!" "Letmego!" _After what felt like eternity, he woke up. 'What the hell was that?' Ed asked himself.

"You're awake! Are you okay?" Al asked. Ed turned his head and saw Al sitting on a chair near his bed. He looked around and saw they were at the apartment.

"I'm fine Al, sorry for worrying you." Ed said. He sat up and a wet rag, which Al must have placed on his forehead, fell into his lap.

"That was so strange. I'm really worried about you. Tomorrow we are going to see a doctor." Al said.

Ed sighed. 'Great.' He thought. 'Just what I need, a doctor. They better not give me any needles.'

Al got up from the chair. "I'm gonna go get some medicine for you," he said and then walked away.

Ed only nodded in response. Suddenly he realized the day hadn't repeated yet. He grabbed his pocket watch and checked the time. 'Eleven thirty. Just half an hour to go and it will be a new day.' Ed thought. His eyes widened. He couldn't believe it. Did this mean it was over? Did he break the cycle? Was the day done repe-_**CRASH! **_Ed bolted out of his bed and ran to find Al. When he found Al he gasped. 'No, no, no! I was so close!' He thought.

When he found Al, he saw that the large mirror that hung on the wall had come loose. It had fallen next to Al and shattered; one giant piece had cut Al's throat. "DAMN!" Ed shouted. The only emotion he felt was rage that time. He was so close, just half an hour to go! "SCREW THIS!" Ed didn't have to turn around to know what was there. "STOP DOING THIS!" He shouted.

His clone laughed. "Don't you know? I'm not doing it." As he said that it fell to black.

When Ed woke up he gasped. 'My clone isn't doing it? What about all that it said about doing its job? Why is it always there when something happens?' He wondered. He jumped out of bed and got dressed. He told Al about the daycare and they headed there. Ed swore to himself that he wouldn't let that woman get away this time. They re-met Elsi and sure enough Reina and the lady showed up. Ed kept his eyes on her. She looked his way and then turned to leave the day care.

"Gotta go Al see you goodbye!" Ed said quickly and ran after her before Al could reply.

She was walking down the sidewalk when Ed stopped her. "Hold it! I won't let you get away again!" Ed shouted. She stopped and looked at him. He walked closer to her and grabbed her arm. "You know don't you? You know!" Ed shouted.

She was silent for a minute and then nodded. "So you are one of us." She said.

Ed gave her a puzzled look. "One of you?" He asked and loosened his grip.

She got her arm free and then extended her hand. "Welcome to the Haze."


	6. Day Six

**Thank you all for the feedback! Also gigantic shout out to my editor who managed to edit this on time, even though we were running a day behind.**

Ed tapped his foot impatiently. The lady had told him to follow her, but he did not expect to be dragged to a small store. He waited for her to finish picking out drinks.

"Hey kid, do you want anything?" she asked.

"Yeah, some answers would be nice," he replied.

The lady sighed and grabbed a pack of sodas. "Good things come to those who wait." She then walked over to the checkout.

"Are you going to drink all those?" he asked.

She let out a slight chuckle. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not very fond of caffeine. These are for the others."

"What others?" Ed asked.

She didn't answer him and instead paid for the drinks and walked out. "Are you coming?" she asked.

Ed nodded and left the store. They didn't say anything to each other while walking. Ed wondered if he could trust her. All he wanted was to make it all stop. If she knew about this, maybe she knew why it was happening.

"Maria," she said randomly.

Ed stopped and looked at her. "What?"

"That's my name," she answered.

"Oh. Nice name," he complimented. "My name is-"

"You're Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. Or, as you told me to refer to you as, 'Ed'," she interrupted.

Ed laughed nervously. "Oh yeah, you already know."

They walked a little longer when she suddenly stopped him. "What is it?" Ed asked.

"We're here," she said and gestured to a broken down restaurant.

Ed stared at the place for a moment before speaking, "This is what you had me follow you for?" He was puzzled by this. Maria sighed and knocked on the door three times, then kicked it. A few seconds after that, the door swung open.

A tall man with short brown hair and hazel eyes opened the door. "Hey Maria, any luck on protecting Reina?" he asked.

"She's safe at the day care for now. In the meantime, I got the new kid," she explained and then pointed to Ed.

The man looked in the direction she was pointing. "Is that a girl or boy? I can't tell," he insulted.

Ed sent him a nasty glare. "I am a man, thank you very much."

The man laughed. "Well you might want to do something about that princess haircut. While you're at it, grow a few inches."

Ed jumped up and grabbed the man by his shirt collar. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE GETS MISTAKEN FOR A GIRL!?" he shouted.

Maria intervened and pushed Ed away from him. "Stop messing with him Anton, we don't have time for that. He's one of us."

Anton rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry man, didn't mean to offend you that badly. I do the same to all the new people so don't think I personally hate you."

Ed crossed his arms. "Whatever."

Maria sighed. "Are you going to let us in or not?" Anton stepped out of the way giving them room to walk in. Inside there were dusty tables, torn booths, and worn out chairs. Maria sat down at one of the booths, and placed the drinks down on the table. Ed sat down with her. Anton walked over and grabbed one of the sodas.

"Have any of the others shown up today?" Maria asked.

To Ed's dismay, Anton sat down next to him. "Klaudia stopped by earlier with her dog. She thought out a plan and then left," he explained.

"I see. Poor girl; I hope this is the day she gets out," Maria said sadly.

Ed was beyond confused at this point. "Um, mind telling me what the hell's going on?" Anton and Maria looked at each other and then nodded.

"Look kid, this place you see, even the people in it besides us few, aren't real," Maria said.

Ed's eyes widened and he gasped. 'What does she mean? Nobody's real? Not even Al? The hell is going on?' he asked himself.

"Allow me to explain. You're here because you have been captured by Leon Tauschung, the Mirage Alchemist," Maria said.

Ed gasped. "The Mirage Alchemist? That sounds familiar."

"He's a very skilled state Alchemist. He worked his way up in the ranks and gained the higher up's trust. Before I became pregnant with Reina five years ago, I worked under him. He was one of the few people that could become the next Fuhrer. His Alchemy was strange yet very powerful. He had a way of messing with his opponent's minds. He could also control them, and force them to give out information. He could create illusions masterfully. Sometimes he would create illusions of himself so that the enemy would be attacking a fake. He was almost unstoppable."

Ed listened closely. "What does any of this have to do with time itself repeating?"

"It's not repeating. Time is flowing in the real world. But for us, the ones stuck in this illusion, we aren't moving. I'll explain. Somewhere down the road he lost his sense of justice and morality. He approached the higher ups with an idea. Since we transmute by gathering natural energy, he wondered if alchemy would be more powerful if the energy came from a human. Many scoffed and said it was impossible. He then approached them with a machine he had made. It would connect to the human brain and give them an illusion. It would require drugs and his alchemy to work. Inside the illusion, it would be similar to the test subjects real life. Anything they knew in their mind would be there, but some things altered majorly. For instance, the test subject worked as a soldier. In the illusion he could interact with the people he knew. Their personalities would be exactly how he remembered them. The first test subject was given happy illusions. Naturally, that meant positive energy. Through concentration and meditation he managed to take that energy flowing off of them, store it, and transmute. However, it was far too weak to even make a small wooden object."

Ed tried to put this together in his mind. "So you're saying I'm connected to the machine? If this is all an illusion in my mind, then how come I can interact with you?" he asked.

"Because we are all connected to it. Let me finish," she said.

"Sorry," Ed apologized and let her speak.

"After that massive failure the military wanted nothing more to do with it. That didn't stop Leon. He kept on researching and then had another idea. He wanted to try to see if negative energy would be more powerful. He kidnapped a soldier to be a test subject. He brought him to his house and connected him to the machine. The machine gave them an illusion but it wasn't a happy one. He questioned what humans feared most and came to the answer. Most people fear the death of a loved one. He didn't have to know who that soldier was close to, as long as the victim's mind knew who he would hate to lose."

Ed could not believe what he was hearing. "So you're saying some power hungry alchemist kidnapped me, hooked me up to the machine, gave me a false world, and is forcing me to see Al die all for his own damn benefit!?" He clenched his fist tightly, already thinking of how pleasing it would be to punch the maniac in the face.

"Pretty much," Anton said.

"How the hell do you know all this!? How come I can't remember anything!?" Ed shouted.

"You don't remember anything for a while. Even for the first month you're here, you won't even notice the days repeating," she said.

Eds eyes widened. "I've already been here for over a month!?"

Maria nodded. "As for your other question, I know because I found his notes. I quit the military after I got pregnant. I had heard rumors about him afterwards, but I didn't by into them. Years later, after losing Reina to illness, I became bitter and had no intention of rejoining the military. I heard that for some reason, Leon had quit. I wanted to know why. I drove from my small, lonely house near the border all the way to Central. When I reached his house, nobody was home. I got worried and thought he was sick or injured. I broke down the door and went inside. That's where I found them. On his dresser were three massive files full of research. I got curious and flipped one open. I was shocked at the title, 'Human energy research.' I want to know what that meant. I stole the folders and drove to the hotel I was staying at."

"Then what did you do?" Ed asked.

"I spent an entire day reading one of the files. I was horrified that the man I looked up to, whom I used to trust, was doing such traumatizing things to innocent people. I knew what had to be done; he had to be stopped. I drove to Central Headquarters and was going to warn them that he was still doing this. I was going to make sure he was thrown in jail. Before I could enter the door, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I shivered and turned around to see Leon. He invited me to his house for tea. I knew it had to be a trap, he had to have noticed the missing files. I tried to decline but then he whispered into my ear, 'Let me explain myself.' I knew at that moment that he knew I had found out. I nodded and followed. I didn't drink the tea because you never know what he could of put in it. Then he suddenly used his alchemy on me. I saw five of him. Before I could figure out who the real one was I was knocked out."

Anton sat quietly while listening to her story. Ed grew more and more disturbed. "This is just sick," he mumbled.

Maria looked down. "Naturally, for a month I didn't notice. Then when I woke up and saw the days repeating, I got scared. It took me a few days to regain my memories of everything that had happened before then. What bothered me the most was that Reina was already dead. That proved that she was nothing more than an illusion to me. I slowly discovered the others and we formed this alliance. We call ourselves R.A.H. Rising Against the Haze. That's what we call this place, The Haze. We believe that if we manage to save the people we love and alter the system, then it will malfunction and we will wake up. Feel free to join us, though it's entirely your choice."

Ed had a question burning in the back of his mind. "H-how long have you guys been here?" he asked, somewhat afraid of the answer.

"I've been here for a little over a year," Maria replied.

"Two years for me," Anton answered.

Ed gripped his coat tightly. "No way. This can't be true; it just can't! I won't join you; that has to be my little brother! I got his body back, I completed everything I set out to do! I found the stone!" After he said that, he gasped. "The...stone? W-wait, why would I..." He trailed off and then gripped his head when he felt pain.

"Don't strain yourself kid, you'll remember in time. If you don't want to join us that's up to you," she said.

She said more but Ed couldn't understand it. He was drawn out by a jumbled memory _"Themainingredienttothestoneishumanlives." "We'llfindadfferentwaybrother." _

"KID!" Maria shouted and then shook Ed gently.

He snapped out of it and looked up. "I see. So even getting Al back to normal is just an illusion. Alright fine, I'll join."

"Alright man, welcome to the team!" Anton said and then high fived him.

"How many of you are here?" Ed asked.

"Well, there's me, Anton, Klaudia, Erik, and now you. That makes five of us," she stated.

"That's a lot of people hooked up to one machine," Ed thought out loud.

"Leon has to be stopped. I'm not going to give up. When I was in the real world all I did was mourn and wallow in sorrow. When I get out of here I want to live my life," she said.

Ed thought for a minute. "Why don't you all team up to prevent one victim from dying each day?"

"We aren't allowed to interfere with another person's loved one. If we do, the day will reset for us," Anton answered.

Ed sighed and tapped his chin. "I have one more question. Can we die here?"

Anton spoke up. "We think so, but it's very hard to do. You'll have to trick the system quickly enough for it to not be able to stop you from being killed. We are needed here. Dying would mean less energy. Which is why we are likely to be completely safe."

Ed remembered his clone. "What about the person that looks exactly like me? Do you guys have one of those too?"

They both nodded. "That's your negative side. Its purpose is only to throw you a bone and then take it away. It wants you to get more confused and lost. Also, be careful. Some of the things it says will really hit home. Do not let it get to you," Maria warned.

Ed thought silently for a minute. "I see. Another thing: if we are hooked up to a machine, how are we still alive? We can't eat or get water."

"I read in the notes he injects the subjects with a serum that hospitals use to give patients nutrients." Maria explained.

Ed's face went pale. "I hate needles! I'm going to rip that bastard's head off!" Anton and Maria laughed slightly. "What are you laughing at!?" He asked.

"Nothing, nothing. Well kid, I have to go see what Erik is doing. You'll meet the others soon if you stop by here every time the day repeats," Maria said.

Ed stood up from his spot at the table. "Thanks for explaining this all to me. I'm going to go check on 'Al'."

"Nice meeting you. I hope with your help we get closer to getting out of this crazy place." Anton exclaimed.

"Yeah, I hope that too," Ed said with a wave and then left. As he walked down the sidewalk he couldn't help but wonder what everyone was doing in the real world.

** Central Headquarters**

Alphonse walked up the stairs of Headquarters and through the door. His armor clanked with each step he took. Hawkeye greeted him and he waved back. Normally he would have had a small conversation with her, but today he just wanted to see if Mustang had any more leads.

When he entered the office Mustang looked up from his paperwork. "Morning Alphonse," he greeted and gestured to the couch.

"Good morning sir," he said as he sat down. He waited for Mustang to finish what he was doing.

Once Mustang was done with the piece of paper he put down his pen. "I take it you are here about your brother," he guessed.

Alphonse nodded. "Do you have any new leads?" he asked.

Mustang sighed and then reached into his drawer. "You know, I really shouldn't be letting someone that's listed as a civilian do these things. Why don't you just wait here? We have several search parties already out looking for Fullmetal and the Mirage Alchemist," he explained.

"With all due respect to them sir, I can't just sit here and wait. He's my brother, after all. I may not be a state alchemist, but I can't let them do all the work," Al replied.

"Very well; lets just hope the higher ups don't hear about this," Mustang said and then tossed Al a folder.

Al opened it and read. "A warehouse?" he asked.

"Locals have been saying they've heard strange noises and seen mysterious people enter it. One in particular described one of the men wearing a dark coat and having short hair," Mustang explained.

"Leon," Al muttered under his breath. He stood up and saluted. "Thank you very much, sir."

"You're welcome, Alphonse. Do what you can to bring him back safe," Mustang said.

Al nodded and walked out of the office. As he was walking down the stairs he thought to himself, 'I will find you brother; that's a promise.'

**Please leave a review if you enjoyed. Thanks for reading! ^^ **


	7. Day Seven

**Unfortunately my editor was too busy to edit this chapter. This is unedited, but hopefully it's decent enough. **

**Disclaimer: Nope**

Ed walked down the sidewalk deep in thought. He was still trying to sink in the information he was given. He pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. It was 10:30 a.m. Ed gasped, he was late for headquarters! If he didn't go "Al" would be suspicious! He changed directions and ran for headquarters. He ran up the steps and swung Mustangs office door open.

"You're late," Mustang said.

'I don't give a damn; I already know the mission perfectly, and you're not even real.' Ed thought but didn't say out loud. Instead, he sighed and plopped down on the sofa. "I got busy," he said.

"You need to be on time," Mustang ordered.

"Whatever just tell me the damn mission already. Bastard," Ed said.

Mustang glared at him. "Lose the attitude Fullmetal. Don't forget that I am your superior officer."

That was it for Ed. He couldn't deal with this when he already had so much on his mind. He would never go on the mission anyways. He jumped up from his seat, swung the door open, then ran out.

"Fullmetal get back here!" Mustang shouted.

Ed froze dead in his tracks. He had heard that before. The familiar pain pierced through his skull. He fell to his knees and clutched his head tightly. A few soldiers came by and asked if he was okay. He was remembering something clearer. _It was a big room. The walls were gray and the floor was dirty. Armor Al and Mustang were by his side. They were all crouching down behind a door. Through the door, they could see a man. The man had a long black coat and short brown hair. _

_ Suddenly, Ed saw something that made him get up and run to the man. It was getting blurry so he didn't know what made him chase the man. He heard Mustang and Al shouting for him. "Brother, no! We're supposed to stick together!" Al shouted. He heard the familiar clanking armor and knew Al was chasing him. Soon he heard footsteps from behind him. "Fullmetal get back here!" Mustang shouted. _

"Edward are you alright?" Hawkeye asked, shaking him gently.

He snapped out of it and looked up. "I-I'm fine," he stuttered then got up.

"You don't look so good. You should go home and get some rest," she said in an almost motherly tone. It was a side of her Ed rarely saw.

"What about the mission?" Ed asked.

"We can't have you go on a mission when you're like this; you'll get yourself killed. Go on home. I'll talk to Mustang about the mission myself," she said.

Ed gave her a slight smile. "Thanks." He got up and left the building. He thought about his memories and tried to link them together. Could that person have been Leon? If that's so he probably got caught because he ran away from Al and Mustang. He didn't know for sure, and hoped he would remember more.

When he got back to the apartment he decided to take a quick nap. Al wouldn't be done with the day care for hours. He spotted the mirror that killed Al previously and threw it in the trash. He then walked over to his bed and fell asleep.

When Ed woke up, Al was standing next to the bed. He jumped and fell out of the bed.

"Brother? Are you okay?" Al asked.

"Crap I fell asleep for too long. Sorry Al," Ed apologized.

"Don't apologize brother, you must have been tired. I'll go make us some dinner," Al said.

"Okay." Ed got out of bed and fixed his hair then followed Al to the kitchen. Al was already hard at work cooking his favorite: stew. Ed offered to help cook, but Al declined. Ed couldn't cook well anyways; he would probably mess it up. However, that didn't stop him from setting the table. Suddenly, while Al was stirring, the pot tilted a bit. Al didn't have time to react and the hot substance landed on the floor. He slipped and fell face first hitting his head against the stove before hitting the floor.

Ed gasped and his eyes widened then he sighed. "Here we go again." As expected his clone showed up. Ed sighed and sat down at the table waiting for everything to go to black. Now that it wasn't the real Al Ed wasn't going to let himself get upset. He had to stay strong and try to find the road out.

"Interesting. You seem calm about this," his clone said.

"I know what's going on. I could care less about my fantasy brother," Ed said. Truth be told, even though it wasn't Al, he still was angry and sad that he had to see it.

"Is that what they said? How do you know that's true? They could be lying to you," it said.

Ed rested his head on the table and didn't bat an eye lash at his clone. "Go to hell; you can't fool me with that crap," he muttered. His clone laughed and soon it all went to black.

Ed woke up and repeated the same system. Get dressed, tell Al about the daycare, then go there. It seemed the daycare was the only place Al could be without dying. They got there a little later than before so Maria had already left. Ed said goodbye to Al and left the daycare. That gave Ed time to get Headquarters over with and go to the R.A.H. hangout. After Headquarters he made his way to the hangout. When he got to the door he scanned his memory for what Maria did to get in. He knocked three times and then kicked. After a moment of silence he heard footsteps and soon the door swung open.

"Who on earth are you?" A girl asked. She had short blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked to be around his age. She had a small dog on a leash. She reminded Ed of Winry. He wondered what Granny Pinako and Winry were doing at that moment.

"I'm Edward Elric, I'm just like you. I already met Maria and Anton so can I come in?" Ed asked after explaining.

"Whatever," she said and then stepped out of the way. Ed looked around and saw Maria. She waved and he waved back. He sat down next to her.

"How's it going kid? Any luck?" she asked.

Ed shook his head. "Not really. Also my negative side tried to get me to believe you guys are liars," he said and then let out a slight chuckle.

"That's happened to me before. I got to go, I'll see you around kid." She said and waved.

"Bye." After Maria left it was just him and the girl. "So, what's your name?" He asked, trying to make at least some small talk.

"What's it to you?" She asked.

'What a snobby girl.' Ed thought. "Just asking that's all. You don't have to bite my head off for it," he said. She didn't answer. They sat for a moment in silence. Ed looked at the dog and decided to try to break the silence. "Cool dog," he complimented.

She sighed. "You're boring, I don't have time to sit here with you." She said and then got up and left. Ed sat silently for a moment, trying to process what just happened. Once he snapped back to reality he thought, 'Note to self: stay away from the bratty girl with the dog.'

**Thanks for reading; reviews are appreciated! ^^ **


	8. Day Eight

**Early update woo! And this time it's edited :3**

**Disclaimer: I am not Arakawa**

"Then this really tiny girl was dropped off!" Al rambled on talking about his time at the day care. They were walking down the streets of Central. Ed had stayed at the R.A.H. Hangout almost the entire time Al was working. He got to talk to Anton more, but met no more new people. He replayed his talk with Anton in his head.

_"I have a question," Ed said as he took a sip from his soda._

_ "Go ahead and ask, man," Anton replied._

_ "I know this is personal, but who are you trying to protect? And that first test subject, is it you?" _

_ Anton was silent for a moment and then chuckled. "No, Erik was the first subject. As for the other question, it's really not that personal anymore. I've told everyone; better tell you too. I had this amazing fiancee, but before all this happened, I didn't treat her right. I cheated on her and she called off the wedding. Now that I'm here I get to see her die. When I get out of this crazy place, I'm going to get her back. I'm going to be a better man."_

_ "Where is the illusion right now?" _

_ "Lucky me, I don't have to worry about her dying until the evening when we go on a date. That's when she dies in front of me."_

_ "All of you have goals to complete when you get out."_

_ "Oh yeah? What about you?" _

_ Ed sighed and slammed the can on the table. "I have to fix something I caused." He stood up and started walking to the door then stopped. "One more thing, who's the girl with the dog?" _

_ "Oh, Klaudia? She's not good with people. She's from a rich family, so she's got a big head. From what I've heard her parents were always on business trips, and her older brother was busy with studying, finances, all that fancy becoming an heir crap," Anton explained._

_ "So who is she trying to protect then?"_

_ "Her only friend in the world: her dog," _

_ "What? You've gotta be kidding me. How hard can it be to protect a dog?" Ed asked._

_ "Hey man, you'd be surprised. This place is creative with its ways of killing."_

_ "Yeah, you're right. Thanks for telling me all this; I'll be on my way," Ed said and then opened the door._

_ "Watch out for yourself," Anton shouted as Ed left. _

Al continued talking but Ed wasn't paying much attention. 'Maria's trying to protect her dead daughter, Anton is trying to save the girl he cheated on, and Klaudia is trying to save her only friend. We all need to get out of the Haze. We have things to do.' Ed was shaken from his thoughts when he heard a scream. He jumped and turned around. Up above workers were doing construction, and one of the poles got loose. It fell down and Ed was too busy thinking to even notice. When he finally noticed, Al laid on the ground, impaled and dead. Ed turned away, not wanting to look at it.

"Interesting; this time you didn't notice until it was too late. What kind of brother are you?" a voice said.

Ed already knew who it was. He didn't bother to look at his clone. "I couldn't care less what you think."

It laughed and then placed a hand on his shoulder. Ed tried to shake it off, but it held a firm grip. It then grabbed his chin forcefully and fixed his gaze on Al's body.

"Look at him. You could have prevented this. What kind of worthless older brother are you?" it asked.

Ed growled and tried to get away from his clone but it held him firm in place. "It's not my brother!" he shouted.

The clone laughed. "Okay, let's say it isn't. If it were, you still would've failed at protecting him. You can never protect him; you only make his life miserable."

Ed struggled even more to get free, but the clone wrapped an arm firmly around his torso. "I'm not going to listen to you. You only want to mess with me!" he shouted.

"Well look at you trying to be tough. We both know you're far from that. You're a little mama's boy that couldn't even survive without her," it said with menace lacing its every word.

"SHUT UP!" Ed shouted and tried to kick, hit, or do some damage to the clone. It was to no avail.

Its grip only tightened. "Getting upset about the truth? How childish of you. It's because you were weak that you tried to bring her back."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

"It's because you were weak that you dragged your poor, innocent little brother into it."

"I'm warning you."

"It's because you couldn't live without your precious mother that you failed to protect him. You destroyed his life and trapped him in armor for years! If you say this is all an illusion, then you have completed nothing. He is still stuck in that metal cage, alone and abandoned," it whispered then laughed evilly.

Ed was silent. He tried to find the words to say, but came out dry. It was all completely true, but that didn't stop him from yelling and trying to punch the clone. Finally, it released its grip and backed away. Ed tried to punch it but it dodged.

The clone just laughed at his attempts. "Getting so upset, are we? Not surprised. Humans can't stand the truth." The scenery faded to darkness.

Ed jumped out of bed angrily. He stomped around the room and punched the wall. The noise that was made when his fist impacted with the wall was loud enough to make Al jolt out of bed.

"Brother, what are you doing?" he asked.

Ed sighed. "Nothing. Just get dressed. I've got a job for you."

Al gave him a worried look, then sighed and got dressed. Ed explained about the day care and they headed there. Ed kept his eyes on Al as he thought about what Maria had told him. _"Some of the things it says to you will really hit home. Do not let it get to you." _Ed chuckled slightly. "You sure were right about that," he said out loud.

"Huh? Right about what?" Al asked.

"Nothing, just talking to myself. Look, we're here," Ed said, pointing to the small day care. After Al got settled Ed went with Maria to R.A.H.

"You were right," Ed said.

"Right about what?" Maria asked.

Ed sighed. "What it says really does hit home."

"So I see. Your negative side got to you, didn't it?" she asked.

Ed sighed and walked a bit faster. "Yeah, but I don't have time to be a baby about it."

"Good, it's best to just ign-"

"Maria!" someone shouted from behind. They both turned around. A young man with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes in a military uniform waved as he ran towards them. When he reached them he doubled over, gasping for breath. "Whew! I'm glad I caught up with you," the man said while catching his breath.

"Hello Erik. I trust you're doing well," Maria welcomed.

"As well as one can be in a place like this," he replied and stood up straight. He looked over at Ed. "Is this the new recruit? Klaudia told me about him. She said he was 'dull and a bore.'"

Ed sighed. "I just said her dog was cool, geez."

Erik laughed. "Yeah, she's a handful. Maria, can I borrow him? I like to get to know all the new members."

"That's entirely up to him," she replied.

"I don't mind," Ed said.

"Great, follow me!" Erik said and suddenly grabbed Ed's arm and dragged him away.

"Have fun you two," Maria said with a wave.

"We will!" Erik shouted back. Ed didn't know where he was being dragged to, but he had a few questions to ask Erik. He hoped he would get the chance to ask them.

**Stadt (small town near the border) **

Al hopped off the train and took a look around. The town was quite lively for such a small place. People ran around selling, buying, playing, and handing out newspapers. Any other time Al would've loved to look around, but he didn't have time for that. He had to find the warehouse Mustang told him about. He pulled out the folder and reread the information for the hundredth time.

'Mysterious warehouse, locals are concerned.' Al read. 'Well if the locals are concerned about it, maybe I should go ask someone about it,' He thought. He looked around and saw a middle-aged lady working at a fruit stand and walked over. "Excuse me ma'am, I was wondering if you could-"

"Wow, look Mom! That armors incredibasomething!" a young voice suddenly said. Al looked around to find the source of it. Suddenly, a little boy popped out from under the stand. "Wow! How'd you get that armor mister? Where can I get one?" the boy asked.

"Jimmy, do not disturb the customers!" the owner said. She walked over, grabbed the boy by the arm, and brought him behind the stand.

"It's okay, I don't mind," Al said and then waved at the kid. He waved back.

"I apologize for my son. Now, what is it you wanted to ask me about?" the lady asked.

"Well I was wondering if you could tell me about a warehouse. It's been reported that people are hearing strange noises, and mysterious people have been entering it," Al said.

"Oh, that place! I kn-"

"Warehouse? No, I haven't heard about anything like that." The lady replied.

"Oh, well do you know anyone who might know about it?" Al asked.

"All of my friends and I-"

"Not that I know of. Sorry that I cannot be of more help," she said.

"It's fine, thank you for your time," Al said and then turned to leave.

"HEY! I said I know about it!" Jimmy shouted.

Al stopped and looked at him. "You do?"

"Uh-huh! All the big kids at school are talking about it! My friends and I want to go on an adventure and look at it! They all think it's haunted. Wouldn't that be so cool? Checking out a haunted warehouse? It would be way funner than going fishing!" Jimmy exclaimed.

Al almost pointed out that 'funner' is not a word, but stopped himself. This was more important. "Do you think you can show me where it is?"

"Sure thing! Follow me!" Jimmy shouted and then grabbed Al's arm and dragged him.

"I'm so sorry! Jimmy you be nice to that man." his mom said.

"It's okay, I really need to find this place anyways," Al said

"Well if he causes you any trouble, let me know," she said.

"I will," Al shouted and let himself be dragged away. He really hoped he could trust a little kids information.

**Please leave a review and I'll see you next update time ^^**


	9. Day Nine

**It's update day! :3**

**Disclaimer: Never will be.**

**Central Headquarters**

With a sigh, Al pushed open the doors to Mustang's office. He sat down on the leather couch, defeated.

"I can assume from your behavior that it was unsuccessful," Mustang said as he scribbled on a piece of paper.

"That's correct sir," Al said. He recalled the previous event in his mind.

_Jimmy had dragged Al towards a deserted part of town. In the middle was a small gray warehouse. Jimmy crouched down on the ground, bringing Al with him._

_ "If we wait here long enough, something's bound to happen!" Jimmy said enthusiastically. _

_ Al looked over at him and nodded. "I hope so."_

_ An hour went by and nothing had happened. Jimmy was growing restless. "This is boring; lets just barge inside!" he said. _

_ "I don't think that's a good idea. Why don't we wait a little longer?" Al asked. _

_ "But it's boring sitting here doing nothing! Let's go exploring!" Jimmy suggested._

_ 'Not good, I can't let him go inside with me. It could be very dangerous. I have to figure out a way to get him out of here,' Al thought. He looked over to Jimmy. "Okay, but it sure is going to be dark in there. Why don't you go get some lanterns?" he asked. _

_ Jimmy's face lit up. _

_ "Okay! You can count on me!" he shouted then ran away. Once he was out of sight, Al broke down the warehouse door. It was a small warehouse. He could see all four walls. He also saw it was empty._

_ He stepped inside more when suddenly eggs fell on him. "W-what on earth is this?" Al asked himself. After a moment of silence, he heard laughter from behind. _

_ He turned around to see a group of people who looked to be highschoolers. _

_ "I can't believe it! Somebody fell for the rumor we started!" laughed one of the taller teenagers. _

_ It dawned on Al as if a light bulb went off in his mind. These troublemakers started a rumor and got the town believing it. One of the shorter teenagers pulled out a basket of eggs and threw some at him. Al put his hands up in defense, but they hit him anyway. _

_ "Whoever this armor freak is, he's so stupid! You're an adult, aren't you? It's hilarious you fell for this!" a different teenager said while laughing. _

_ Al had had enough. "What's wrong with you? Why would you do this?" Al asked, his armor rattling. _

_ "Because it's fun!" the tall one said. He then pulled a few rocks out of his pocket and threw them at Al. "And it's your own fault for falling for it!" _

_ Al wasn't going to say any more. He just wanted to go back to Headquarters, so he turned around to leave. _

_ "Chicken, running away like that!" one of them shouted at him. _

_ "Lets get him!" another shouted. Al turned around and saw the bunch charging at him. _

_ On instinct Al defended himself, bruising each of them in the process. "I don't want to hurt you, just please leave me alone," he said and then ran back to the lively part of town. _

_ "Hey I got the lant-" Jimmy said but Al ran right past him. "Hey what's wrong mister?" he asked and followed Al. Once back in town Al sat down on the ground. "You okay mister? I got the lanterns like you told me to," Jimmy said, waving the lanterns proudly. _

_ "I don't think you should go over there. There's nothing in it; it was all just a prank," Al explained. _

_ "What? Bummer, now I'll never know what it's like to go on a real adventure!" Jimmy exclaimed._

_ "You should cherish the life you have now and not try to seek adventures. Traveling and doing dangerous missions is actually scary. Especially when it's someone that's close to you that's working the hardest and in the most danger," Al rambled. _

_ "Huh? Mister, you're not making any sense."_

_ "Oh, it's nothing. Forget what I said."_

"Alphonse," Mustang called for the fifth time.

"S-sorry sir," Al stuttered, snapping out of his thoughts.

Mustang cleared his throat. "I apologize for that mission, but this next one is what we have been waiting for," he said and tossed Al a folder.

Al opened it and gasped. There was a picture of Leon surrounded by trees.

"Leon! Where is he? Who took this?" he asked eagerly.

"A photographer was taking photos of wildlife when he spotted that man. He followed him and found a house in the woods. He found it suspicious so when he came back to Central he reported it to us," Mustang explained.

'Finally I might find you brother,' Al thought. "Thank you very much sir. I'll leave immediately."

"Hold it Alphonse, this time you're not going alone. Now that we know for sure where Leon is, we will call the two search parties to relocate to that forest. Also, I will be joining you along with my team."

"I suppose that's wise. I just want brother back safe."

"We all want Fullmetal safe. Don't worry, Alphonse, we will get him back at all cost."

"I really hope so."

Mustang walked to his office door and called his team in. They all assembled immediately and saluted saying, "Sir!"

"We have a strong lead regarding the location of Fullmetal and the Mirage Alchemist. Be ready to leave by dawn. Hawkeye, you are in charge of getting us guns that shoot very well from a long distance," Mustang instructed.

"Yes sir," Hawkeye said saluting. After her salute, she left the room.

"Falman, contact the search parties and tell them to come here," Mustang ordered.

"Yes sir!" Falman saluted, then left to call them.

"Fuery, take that dog out of here and get us equipment for eavesdropping," Mustang instructed.

Fuery looked down at the new yellow puppy he found and sighed. "Yes sir," he said unenthusiastically.

"Where's Breda?" Mustang asked.

"Right over there sir," Fuery said and pointed to behind the couch.

"Get that monster out of here!" Breda shouted in fear.

Mustang sighed. "Fuery, take that dog out now, you know what a coward Breda is around them."

"H-hey I'm not a coward!"

"Then come out."

"No way! Not until the dog is gone!"

"I'll do it right now sir," Fuery said then ran to put the dog outside. Once the coast was clear, Breda stood up from his spot behind the couch and walked over.

"Breda, I need you to read over these files. Gather as much information as you can. I want to make absolutely certain that I did not overlook something," Mustang said, handing him the folders.

"Yes sir," Breda said then walked out.

"Havoc, go assist Hawkeye," Mustang ordered, having run out of tasks.

"So we are leaving tomorrow, right boss?" Havoc asked.

"Is that a problem?" Mustang asked.

"Well you see, I have this date with a girl I really like tomorrow," Havoc explained.

"Cancel it," Mustang ordered.

"So cold!" Havoc shouted then ran out dramatically. Mustang sighed then looked back at Alphonse.

If Al had had body he would've been smiling. They were all working hard to bring Ed home. "Is there anything you want me to do sir?" he asked.

"Just be prepared to leave tomorrow morning."

"Alright sir, thanks so much; for everything."

"No need to mention it Alphonse."

Al saluted then exited. 'Just hold on a littler longer brother, we're almost there.'

**The Haze**

Erik dragged Ed to a small lake. He sat down on the grass near the lake and motioned Ed to sit down next to him. Ed was a bit hesitant, but sat down.

"Peaceful, isn't it?" Erik asked.

Ed looked around at the scenery.

"Yeah, it is. Reminds me of my home town," he said.

"Really? What's your home town?" Erik asked, glancing over at him.

"Resembool," Ed answered.

Erik gasped. "You're kidding right?"

"No, I'm serious, why?"

"That's my home town too! But my family and I moved away when I was ten."

"That's cool, too bad you had to move. I had to move too to join the military."

"Join the military? You look pretty young for the military."

"Yeah, well what can I say. Stuff happened and I had no choice if I wanted to fix something."

"Wait, are you Edward Elric? The little kid the entire military was talking about joining?"

"That's me."

"Yeah, I remember, you were pretty famous just by joining at your age. That was a long time ago, right before I got taken here. I think it's been about three years."

"Three!? I joined the military at twelve, so that makes me fifteen," Ed said and then slapped his forehead. "All this time I thought I was seventeen. Where the hell did I get that idea?"

Erik chuckled. "Yeah, this place loves messing with our minds."

"Tell me about it."

"So, how did someone as smart as you get caught?"

"Not really sure myself; my memories haven't fully returned. From what I do have, I know it involved going on a mission and running away from the group. What about you? How did you get here?"

"I was walking home from working late hours at Headquarters. I saw Leon and started small talk, you know, about simple things. Then he pulled out a needle and stabbed my arm with it. That's all I remember and then I woke up here."

"Who are you trying to protect?"

"My roommate, you?"

"My brother."

"I hope you can protect him."

"Thanks, I hope you protect your roommate too. I just want to be out of this place."

"We all do. I gotta admit, we are a disorganized bunch but we all haven't given up yet. I think that's impressive."

"Yeah, I really like all of you. Except Klaudia. I don't know what I did to her but she just doesn't like me."

"She's like that with everybody. Give her time; she will warm up."

"Well I hope she does soon." Ed and Erik continued talking for a long time. About old events that happened annually at Resembool, and about the military.

The longer they talked, the more comfortable Ed felt being around him. Erik opened up to Ed easily. He told him he lost his mom when he was young, and grew up with a dad and two younger sisters. They moved to Central for his dads job, but it never paid enough. He joined the military at eighteen to provide for them. He also told Ed that he feared how they were living without him. Ed told him he had lost his mother too, and joined the military so that he could fix his little brother. When Erik asked what he meant by that, Ed dodged the question by talking about the farms in Resembool. They talked for so long that before they knew it, it was time for Ed to go get Al.

"I better go get my brother. It was nice talking to you Erik," Ed said as he stood up.

"Yeah It was, I'll see you soon," Erik said and waved as they parted ways.

While heading up to the daycare, Ed saw Maria walking up ahead.

"Hey!" Ed shouted and then ran to catch up with her.

"Oh hey kid, how was Erik?" Maria asked.

"He seems like a really cool guy. We basically talked for a long time," Ed said.

"That's good. You're heading to the day care, right?"

"Yeah, can I walk with you?"

"Of course." They walked together making small talk until they reached the daycare.

"Brother!" Al waved and then ran towards him.

"Mommy!" Reina shouted and then jumped in Marias arms.

"Hey Al, how was the daycare?" Ed asked.

"It was amazing! I have so much to tell you!" Al exclaimed.

'I know, you talk like hell about it,' Ed thought. "Great, I can't wait to hear about it!"

"Are you hungry brother? There's a new restaurant that opened up near the train station," Al suggested.

Ed groaned internally. As much as he didn't want to go to the Xingese restaurant again, there were too many risks around the train station.

"Nah, how about Shiwu?"

"But brother, we always go there," Al whined. "Can't we go someplace new?"

"W-well um..." Ed was failing at hiding his nervousness.

"Edward," Maria said from behind.

Ed turned to face her, confused. "Yes?"

"Why don't you and your brother come to our place for dinner?" she offered.

"Alipoo's coming over? Yippie!" Reina shouted in happiness.

"Aliwhat?" Ed asked.

Al chuckled. "It's just something Reina likes to call me. Brother, how do you know her mom?"

Ed tried to think of a reason for knowing her. "Well, um, she's the one who told me about the daycare to begin with. How we met, um..." He was terrible at lying today.

"I work at the military as well. We ran into each other a few times at Headquarters," Maria said.

"Oh, I see. It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am; I'm Alphonse Elric," Al said and extended his hand for her to shake.

"The pleasure's all mine," Maria said as she shook his hand.

"I would've never thought such a gentleman could be related to Ed," she teased. Ed glared at her.

"You'll have to excuse my brother. If he's been rude to you I apologize," Al said.

"It's fine, really, I was only messing with him. Though he has his moments, it's certainly nothing I can't handle," Maria explained.

"Hello, I'm standing right here you know," Ed grumbled. Al and Maria laughed.

"Sorry brother," Al snickered.

"So would you two like to come for dinner?" Maria asked.

"As long as it's not too much trouble," Al said.

"It isn't. Besides, it seems Reina has taken a liking to you," Maria said.

Reina nodded. "Mhmm, I love Alipoo!"

"Well brother, what do you think?" Al asked.

"Whatever you want to do Al," Ed replied.

"In that case, we'd love to."

"Yay! Alipoo's coming over!" Reina shouted and then jumped up and down.

"Goodness, you sure have made her happy," Maria said with a chuckle.

Reina grabbed Al by the arm and started dragging him. "Come on; our house isn't far! I'll lead the way!" she said and then ran ahead.

"Reina wait for us!" Maria shouted after them. She grabbed Ed's arm and chased them.

'Why the hell do I keep getting dragged everywhere? I have legs I can walk on my own,' Ed thought. That was the least of his problems. 'Didn't Maria say they weren't allowed to interfere or the day would repeat?' He would have to ask her about that later.

**Please review if you enjoyed ^^ **


	10. Day Ten

**I'm so sorry that this is a day late! Well I guess it's better late and edited, then on time and not edited. **

**Disclaimer: Said this ten times, I do not own the series. .3. **

"Yay! We're here!" Reina shouted excitedly as she pulled Al up the porch. Al took a moment to catch his breath. He was surprised at how fast a little girl could run. Maria and Ed followed soon after. Maria unlocked the door and Reina grabbed Al once again and dragged him inside. The house was clean with only a few toys scattered around. The walls were white with a few portraits hanging off of them. There was a staircase to the right and another room to the left.

"Mommy, can I show Alipoo my toy collection?" Reina asked.

"Only if he wants to," Maria replied.

Al chuckled. "It's perfectly fine with me."

Reina smiled brightly. "Okay; follow me!"

Ed laughed as Al was dragged up the stairs. 'Good luck Al,' he thought.

"Hey kid, feel free to relax while I cook dinner," Maria said.

"Do you need any help?"

"I've got it. Besides, I'd like my house to not be burned down."

"I may suck at cooking, but I wouldn't burn the place down."

"I'm not taking any chances. If you're so set on helping out, you can set the table."

"Okay."

Ed followed Maria to the kitchen. The kitchen had yellow wallpaper with blue flowers on it. There was a big brown wooden table near the windows. The curtains were light blue and embroidered with dark blue flowers. She pointed to a small brown cabinet on the wall. "Dishes are in there. Get the Xingese bowls for us but get that plastic purple bowl for Reina. Also don't give her a glass cup, get the matching plastic purple mug. God knows I can't trust her with glass objects."

"Got it." Ed walked over to the cabinet and got the things Maria had asked for. He set them on the table nice and neatly. He heard Reina talking to Al upstairs. While they were out of the way, now was the perfect time for him to ask Maria questions. "So why'd you invite us here? I thought you said others couldn't interfere."

"When did I say that?"

"When you were explaining everything to me. I asked why didn't you team up to prevent one victim from dying, and you said because you aren't allowed to interfere."

"I see; now I remember. First of all, it was Anton that answered that. Secondly, you're misunderstanding what he meant. What he meant was that we can't stop them from dying. To give you an example, let's say your brother fell off the stairs. If I reached out to try to prevent his death, the day would reset for both of us."

"I see. So what you're saying is you can't interfere with their death?"

"That's correct. We can interact with the victims, we just can't help when they are about to die."

"Hey, I have a question. How does the whole repeating day process work? I mean, if I failed at protecting Al hours before the rest of you, how come whenever I restart you guys are starting over too?"

"You simply go unconscious until we all fail and then we all repeat."

"Oh, that makes sense. I've been wondering about that."

Maria grabbed a big pot and wooden spoon. She got some potatoes and meat as well. "I hope you don't mind stew."

"Are you kidding? I'd eat it everyday if I could."

"That's good. Reina is rather fond of it too."

"That's cool." Ed sat at the table thinking while Maria cooked. He was so lost in thought that he almost didn't hear Reina and Al coming down the stairs.

Reina dragged Al into the kitchen. "Mommy, is dinner ready yet?"

"Have a seat, it will be in a few minutes," Maria replied.

"'kay!" Reina said happily and sat down in a chair. Al sat down in the one between Ed and Reina.

"So, how was her toy collection Al?" Ed asked teasingly.

"She has tons of stuffed animals, that's for sure," Al answered.

Reina stared at Ed for a moment. "Alipoo, what's your little brothers name?"

"Hey! I'm the older one!" Ed shouted rising from his chair.

"Kid, sit down; you're at a dinner table," Maria said without even looking up from her cooking. Ed sighed and sat down, crossing his arms.

Al laughed nervously. "Oh, his name is Edward."

"Call me Ed."

Reina tapped her chin. "Hmm, that name is no good. I'm going to call you Edbear!"

"I get a nickname too? Whoop-de-doo," Ed said sarcastically.

Al nudged him. "Brother, be nice."

A few minutes passed by. Reina talked to them about a kid at the daycare that annoyed her.

"She's really talkative," Ed thought. 'I remember when we first met, she was hiding behind Maria. I guess that was just because I was scaring her by arguing with her mom. I'm glad she doesn't remember that. If she did, she might be shy around me.'

Finally Maria was done cooking. She filled everyone's bowls with stew and sat down. They all said thanks to her. Reina bowed her head in prayer. Ed rolled his eyes and started eating.

When Reina finished, she glared at Ed. "Hey, you didn't give thanks!"

Ed laughed slightly. 'Thanks for what? Giving me hell?' he thought.

"Reina, not everyone has to pray if they're not comfortable with it," Maria tried to explain.

"Really? But Daddy said that if you don't, you go to He-"

"Reina! That's far enough," Maria said strictly.

"No, no, it's fine. If she's so concerned about it I'll give thanks right now. Thank you God for making me an orphan, thank you God for the hardship Al and I have gone through, and thank you God for trap-"

Al suddenly grabbed Ed's arm. "I apologize for him; give us a moment," Al took Ed outside. "Brother, what's gotten into you? She's a little girl; she didn't do anything wrong!"

"I know, I know Al I'm sorry. I'm just fed up with things."

"Fed up with what? We fixed everything! You worked hard and now thanks to you I have my body back. With that being said, what's still bothering you?"

Ed clenched his fist. That wasn't true; the real Al was still suffering in that metal cage. "I can't tell you Al."

"But Broth-"

"I'll go apologize, okay? It was very uncalled for."

"Wait! Why can't you tell me?"

Ed ignored Al and walked back inside. With a sigh, Al followed.

When Ed got to the kitchen, Reina walked up to him, her head lowered. "I'm sorry Edbear, I didn't mean to make you sad."

Ed smiled lightly and put a hand on her shoulder. "No, I'm the one who's sorry. I was way out of line. Think you can forgive me?"

Reina looked up at him and smiled. "Mhmm!"

"Why don't we all play cards? Reina, go get the pack from the drawer," Maria said.

"'kay mommy!" Reina ran to the drawer and pulled out a pack of cards. Ed and Al sat down and the game started. Half an hour had passed, and Ed had won two games.

"Take that!" Ed said proudly as he slammed down his winning cards.

"No fair! Mommy, Edbear keeps winning!" Reina complained.

Maria sighed. "You're really good at this game kid; I'll give you that."

Al looked at Ed questioningly. He noticed a slight bulge in Ed's coat sleeve. "Brother, roll up your sleeves."

"What? Why?" Ed asked.

Al glared at him. "Just do it."

With a sigh, Ed rolled up his coat. Cards fell out of his sleeve and onto the table.

Reina pointed a finger at him accusingly. "Mommy! Edbear has been cheating!"

Ed laughed nervously. "I can explain..."

Al crossed his arms. "Oh really? Do enlighten us, Brother."

Ed gulped. "Uh, well, uh, I..."

"Kid, for now on, Keep all your sleeves rolled up. Better yet, take off your coat," Maria ordered.

Ed sighed. "Fine, fine." He slid off his coat and the game continued.

After about an hour, Reina folded her cards. "I'm bored. Can me and Alipoo go play on the swings outside?"

"If it's fine with him you can. Don't stay out for too long; its already getting dark," Maria said.

"It's perfectly fine with me," Al said.

Reina smiled. "Yay! Let's go Alipoo!" She grabbed Al's sleeve and opened the back door. Through the windows in the kitchen they could see her and Al outside.

"I really am sorry about earlier."

"It's fine, honest. She was just doing what her dad told her. By the way, where is he?"

"That two-faced son of a bitch!" In a fit of rage, Maria grabbed her glass and threw it near Ed. Startled, he jumped and fell backwards with his chair. "I'm so sorry!" Maria apologized and ran to his aid.

"I-it's fine, sorry for asking about him."

Maria examined him and saw that a piece of glass had cut his forehead. "It is not fine; you're bleeding! Come with me." Ed followed her to the other side of the kitchen. She motioned him to sit on the counter. Ed did so as she pulled out a first aid kit from the drawer. She placed some medicine on a cotton ball. "This will sting," she warned and dabbed the cut. Once she was done cleaning it, she placed a bandage on the wound. "Impressive kid, you didn't even flinch. Even adults always complain about the sting."

"Ha, well then they're a bunch of babies. I hardly even felt it."

Maria put the first aid kit back in the drawer. "I could tell from your outburst earlier that you've been through a lot. It doesn't surprise me that you'd be used to pain by now."

Ed jumped off the counter and kept his eyes glued to the floor. "Yeah, but it's nothing really." Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around him and pulled him into an embrace. He instantly stiffened. "Wh-what are you d-doing?"

"You looked like you could use a hug. Don't try to deny it. After all, you're still just a kid. You don't have to be Mr. Tough Guy all the time."

Ed trembled as he stuttered for words. How was he even supposed to react to this? He thought about pushing her away, but that would be mean. He couldn't deny that the gesture was comforting, but he had to stay strong. "I d-don't need a hug, I'm f-fine."

"Oh yeah? Then how come you look like you're on the verge of tears?"

'Damn it.' Ed just then noticed that he was very close to crying. 'The hell is wrong with me? I need to stop this.' Ed sighed. "A-am not. I'm fine."

"I told you, you don't have to be Mr. Tough Guy all the time. Who are you trying to impress? We are the only two people here. Nobody is going to blame you if you want to cry. All of us do sometimes, especially being stuck in a place like this. If I were your age, I would've broken long ago."

That was it. As much as he wanted to stop trembling and hold in the tears, he couldn't stop it. He cried for everything. His mom, Al, and being stuck in the Haze. "I-it's all my fault. It's all my fault," he repeated.

Maria hugged him tighter and rubbed his back softly. "Hey, I'm sure whatever it is it's not your fault."

Ed trembled more. "I-it is. I made him do it. I-it was me."

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself kid. Made who do what?"

"I-I made A-Al do h-human transmutation."

Maria froze and her eyes widened. "What?"

"W-We just w-wanted our mom back."

Marias eyes saddened. "Oh Edward, I'm sure you didn't make him do it. He probably wanted her back too."

Ed was a bit surprised she used his actual name. "A-Al lost his body. H-he still d-doesn't have it back. N-now he's all alone w-while I'm stuck here."

"I see. Don't worry, you will get out of here someday. We all will; we just have to not lose hope. Okay?"

Ed wiped his eyes. "Okay."

Maria smiled and released her grip. She walked to the drawer and got him a tissue. Ed looked down at the floor. 'I can't believe I just told her all that. What a wimp I am," he thought, very embarrassed for his behavior. He looked up when Maria walked back over with a tissue. He took it, blew his nose, and wiped his eyes.

Maria sat back down at the table and Ed did the same. "In answer to your earlier question, that scumbag got us in serious debt. He walked out when Reina was five. It wasn't much longer after that that Reina got very sick. Then when she was six, she died."

"I see. Our dad walked out on us too."

"Did he now? I'm sorry to hear t-" Suddenly, there was the boom of thunder.

"Huh, is it going to rain? I've never seen it rain here before," Ed said.

Maria shivered. "Oh no, God no."

Ed gulped nervously. "What is it?"

"This rarely happens, but, whenever all of us get close to winning, the Haze sends lighting to kill all the victims."

Ed's eyes widened. That was so unfair! He jolted up and ran towards the door. "We have to get them inside!"

Maria grabbed him by his shoulder and pulled him back. "It's no use! Even if we hid them inside it would still get them! This can't be beaten; just close your eyes and plug your ears. You don't want to see this."

"Huh? Why?" Ed asked. Suddenly, there was a bright flash. Then even from a good distance, he heard the agonizing scream of a man. Maria sat down, closed her eyes, and plugged her ears. Ed wanted to do the same, but he felt paralyzed. Next flash, there was a terrifying scream from a woman. After that, another flash and a dog howling loudly. Ed could only stand in horror. Somebody had to stop this. This was madness. Another flash, and Ed plugged his ears. He could still hear the loud, tormented scream of a little girl. Reina. There was only one left.

Ed couldn't stand there and do nothing. He opened the door and ran to Al. "Alphonse!" Al looked over at Ed. Right before his eyes, he saw Al get electrocuted. He had heard Al scream many times in the past, but the one he released that time was the most horrifying out of all of them. Al fell to the ground, dead. Next to him was Reina's electrified body.

"I told you not to look," Maria said as she placed a shaky hand on his shoulder.

Ed dropped to his knees. 'No more; we've had enough," he thought. "It's too terrible. Please, stop this insanity!" He looked up when he heard the laughter of his clone. Next to his was Maria's clone. They laughed and it faded to black. When Ed woke up he shook violently. He looked over at Al's sleeping form and gripped his sheet.

'That was horrible," Ed thought as she shivered. 'I wish I had listened to Maria; that was the worst death by far. I can't believe I had to hear the other victims scream too. Enough is enough! We have to get out of here damn it!' He clenched his fist tightly. He got up out of bed and put his clothes on, now more motivated than ever. 'I'm going to do whatever it takes to get us out of here. I swear it."

**Please review if you enjoy :3 **


	11. Day Eleven

**It's 12:36 am saturday my time, so I'm 36 minutes past the deadline. I apologize; I had computer problems and was late to sending this to my editor. Give him a round of applause for working so hard. .u. **

**Disclaimer: nope**

"Al, wake up. I've got a job for you," Ed said as he shook Al's sleeping form.

With a mumble, Al woke up. "Morning brother," he said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Get dressed. There's a daycare not too far from here that could use some help."

"Really? Okay, just give me a moment to get dressed!" Al ran to the drawer and pulled out some clothes. He sighed and picked up the dirty pair of pants from the floor.

"Take all the time you need." Ed sat on his bed and thought about what had happened. 'So we are trying to protect the victims so that the machine will malfunction. But no matter what we do, they're still going to die. Last night proved that. We need a different way of breaking the cycle, but what? After I drop Al off I'll ask the others for their opinion.'

Al, now fully dressed, walked to the mirror and brushed his hair. "I'm ready; let's go!" They walked down the streets of central. When they arrived at the daycare, Ed saw that Reina was there, but not Maria. 'I guess she's already at the hangout.' With a wave goodbye to Al, he walked away. It took him a few minutes, but he finally arrived.

He walked up to the door and was about to knock when it swung open fully to reveal Klaudia and her dog. She motioned him to keep quiet. He could hear Maria, Anton, and Erik arguing. Curious as to what was going on, he walked in quietly. Klaudia crouched down in a corner eavesdropping. He decided to do the same and sat down quietly next to her. The image of Al and Mustang crouching down next to him briefly flashed in his mind. He shook it off and looked over to see what the others were doing. They were sitting on a booth arguing.

"I can't take this anymore! We are never going to win!" Anton shouted angrily.

"My roommate saved my life, but I can never save him here. I feel so useless," Erik said sadly.

Maria sighed. "Both of you need to calm down. We have to not lose ho-"

"Not lose hope!? It has been lost! No matter what we do, we will never get out of this damn place!" Anton shouted.

Klaudia held her dog close and shivered. Ed looked down sadly. He didn't like seeing them give up. 'We can't be stuck here forever; we can't be.'

"We have to try! We have all been through a lot, but giving up now isn't the answer!" Maria said.

Erik sighed. "I don't like giving up either; there has to be a way."

Maria clenched her fist tightly. "Well we can't give up yet!"

"Then what the hell do we do to get out of here?" Anton asked.

"Anton, just listen to what Maria has to say," Erik said.

Anton, acting hysterical, rose from his seat angrily. "NO! I'm not going to listen to her! We are going to be stuck here forever! I'LL NEVER MAKE THINGS RIGHT!"

"Get a damn grip!" Ed shouted, rising from his spot on the floor. Klaudia flinched and hugged her dog tighter.

Maria's eyes widened. "Kid? H-how long have you two been here?"

Ed walked over and sat in the booth. "Long enough. Anton, you need to calm the hell down. It's not hopeless. It can't be! We have to be doing something wrong! There must be something else we need to do to break the system." Klaudia stood up and ran outside.

"Poor girl," Maria said sadly.

"Way to go Anton. You've made Klaudia upset," Erik said.

Anton sighed and sat down. "Sorry. I'm calm now."

Ed tapped the table, thinking. "Maybe we don't need to protect anybody. Maybe there's a different way to bust the system."

"Really? Like what?" Erik asked.

Ed thought for a moment. "I don't know. Do you guys have any ideas?"

"None. Sorry man," Anton said.

Maria shrugged. "I'm afraid I can't think of any."

Anton stood up and walked to the door. "I've gotta go. I'll think about it."

"Bye," they waved.

While half an hour was passing, they all sat quietly thinking. Ed sighed and pulled out his pocket watch. 'Crap, I keep forgetting to go to Headquarters. Last time I got distracted with Erik. It's a good thing fake Mustang won't ever remember that. I better get going this time.' "I've gotta go before I get my ass handed to me by my superior officer."

"Alright, I'll keep thinking about it kid," Maria said.

"Later, I'll give it more thought too," Erik said with a wave.

Ed waved and exited. He was about to turn the corner when he heard someone sobbing. With his curiosity getting the best of him, he turned around and started looking for the source of the noise. Behind a bush, he found Klaudia clutching her dog and crying. Ed froze, unsure of what to do. She looked up at him and gave him a nasty glare. As she walked up to him, she kicked him in the knee hard.

With a wince Ed fell down. "W-what the hell was that for!?" he asked.

"You creep! How long have you been standing there?" she asked.

Ed clutched his knee. "Just now! I wasn't spying on you or anything!"

"Oh. Well still! Can't you give a lady some privacy?"

"Well maybe if you acted like one, instead of being violent and rude to me!"

Klaudia glared at him and tried to kick him in the stomach. Ed rolled out of the way and stood up. She stomped her foot angrily. "How dare you accuse me of being unladylike!"

"Trying to kick people is ladylike?"

Klaudia stuttered for a comeback. With a sigh, she crossed her arms.

Ed sighed. "Listen, I don't know what I did to you, but you've been having a problem with me since we met. It would be nice if I could talk to you without getting insulted or hit for once!"

Klaudia sat down. "Fine. I'm sorry, okay? I just want to get out of here."

Ed dusted off his coat. "We all do. I'm working on getting us a way out of here. I think we might be doing something wrong."

She looked up at him. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

"I don't know. Maybe there's another way to break the system."

"I hope so. I'm starting to think saving my dog is impossible."

"After last night, all of us are starting to doubt things. I'm not gonna give up; I have to make it out of here. For him."

"Who?"

Ed flipped open his pocket watch. "Nothing. I gotta go. I'm late. I'll see you around, Klaudia."

"Okay." She waved.

Ed waved back and then headed to Headquarters. Mustang wasn't happy with him being late, but thankfully didn't light him on fire. After another boring run through the mission, he was free to go. On the walk back to his apartment, he saw Anton walking up ahead. "Anton!"

Anton turned around and waved. "Hey man, what are you doing?"

Ed caught up to him and caught his breath. "Just left Headquarters, you?"

"Just taking a walk and thinking. Sorry about earlier."

"Don't worry about it."

"I just hate seeing my fiancée die. You know, in a strange way this place has helped me realize how much she means to me. If I had realized back then, I would've never cheated on her. I just want to get out of here and make things right, if she hasn't moved on already."

"You will. Just don't lose yourself here."

Anton chuckled. "I won't, that's a promise."

Ed smiled. "I think I have a few ide-" Suddenly, a crippling pain pierced through Ed's skull. He gripped onto his head tightly and fell down. He looked up briefly to see Anton frantically shaking him. His eyelids grew heavier with every passing second. Finally, he couldn't fight it and gave in.

_ "The Mirage Alchemist?" Ed asked as he looked up at Mustang._

_ "Be prepared to leave tomorrow at noon. This guy is dangerous, so we will be bringing the entire team with you."_

Ed watched the scene unfold. It was strange seeing himself. This had to be a memory of what had happened before he got captured. Growing curious, he watched quietly for the scene to continue.

_ "Why is he so dangerous?"_

_ "He quit the military for unexplained reasons a while back, and has been accused of testing on humans."_

_ "HUMANS!?" _

_ "Yes. Whether that's true or not is still undetermined. One of his former subordinates went missing almost a year ago and has still not shown up. The higher-ups suspect that he might be the cause of it. They think he might be up to illegal experiments." _

_ "I get it. You think this guy is stealing people to test on right?"_

_ "That's correct."_

_ "That's terrible, but, what do I have to do with any of this?"_

_ "You are a dog of the military. You do whatever missions you are given. If that's not good enough, you will be happy to know that the Mirage Alchemist might know how to get your bodies back."_

_ That caught Ed's interest. "What do you mean?"_

_ "He is very wise about Alchemy. If anyone would know, it would be him. If we manage to capture him, you might just be able to ask him yourself." _

_ Ed stood up from his seat. "Alright, I'm all for this mission. Let's hunt that bastard down. I'll see you tomorrow, Colonel."_

_ "Goodbye, Fullmetal."_

_ Ed walked out of the office and bumped into Al's armor._

_ "Sorry Brother!" Al apologized._

_ Ed rubbed his forehead that was slightly bruised from bumping into Al. "It's fine; don't worry about it."_

_ "What did the Colonel want?"_

_ Ed started walking out of Headquarters. Al tagged behind him. "Well, we are going on a mission tomorrow. Some guy named the Mirage Alchemist. It's sort of a lead to getting our bodies back."_

_ "Really!?" _

_ "Yeah. The guy's pretty smart; he just might know a thing or two." _

_ "I hope so. I want us to get our bodies back soon." _

_ "I'll get your body back. I promise, Al." _

Ed watched the scene as he grew sad. He hated that he was delayed being trapped in the Haze rather than getting closer to getting Al's body back. The scene changed to the familiar sight of him, Al, and Mustang crouching behind a door.

_ "Where are the others?" Ed whispered as he peeked through the door. _

_ "Hawkeye and Fuery are at the north entrance, Havoc and Falman at the south entrance, and Breda and a few soldiers at the east entrance,." Mustang replied._

_ "So we are at the west entrance; got it," Ed said. Immediately after, Leon appeared. They watched through the door quietly. He was completely oblivious to their presence. Mustang positioned his gun in case worse came to worse when Ed noticed something shiny on Leon's finger. Ed studied it for a moment then gasped. "That bastard! He has a stone!" Ed whispered. Mustang motioned him to be silent. Ed could feel his anger rising. He wondered how many people he had killed to make that stone. Blinded by rage, Ed shot up and ran to attack him. He transmuted his arm into a blade and charged at full speed. _

_ "Brother, no! We are supposed to stick together!" Al shouted. Ed heard the familiar clanking armor and knew that Al was chasing him. Soon it was followed by footsteps. _

_ "Fullmetal, get back here!" Mustang shouted. _

_ Leon noticed them immediately. Ed cried out and tried to attack him, but he dodged. With a clap, Leon touched the wall. The room started shaking and soon the ceiling was caving in on them. "Al! This way!" Ed shouted, keeping an eye on where Leon was escaping to. As the room was starting to crumble, Ed tailed Leon. Ed and Al managed to get in the other room, but the exit was blocked with debris. They were all alone, Mustang being on the other side of the debris. _

_ "Well, it appears I am not getting a peaceful weekend after all," Leon said. _

_ Ed once again tried to attack him, but to no avail. When Leon suddenly dodged, Ed fell flat on his face. He looked up and glared at him. "You bastard! You have the stone!" _

_ Leon looked down at his fingers. "You mean this little thing?" he said as he took it off and tossed it Ed's way. "Take it; I have something much stronger than that." _

_ Ed was tempted as he stared at the ring lying only a few feet away from him. He reached out to grab it when a voice stopped him._

_ "Brother, no! Don't do it! You don't know how many people he killed to make that! We promised to find another way!" _

_ "On the contrary, it was a friend of mine who handled the dirty work. But if you insist on not taking it, that's your call," Leon said as he picked up the ring and slid it back on. "Now, what does the military want with me?" _

_ "You're being accused for being responsible for the disappearance of your former subordinate and conducting experiments on humans. If you come with me peacefully there's a chance you won't get the death penalty if you're found guilty," Ed explained._

_ "Peacefully? Let us not forget you were the one that lashed out and tried to kill me. You don't seem like the peaceful type," Leon said. _

_ Ed glared at him. He stood up and dusted himself off. "I don't give a damn what you think. Just come with us back to Central. If you are innocent, you wouldn't have a problem with that."_

_ Leon laughed. "Oh, I'm not claiming to be innocent. Never have, never will. It is true I am testing on humans," before finishing what he was saying, he ran over to Al so fast neither of the two had a chance to react. He transmuted Al's arms and legs to the wall and laughed. "And I think you are my next one." _

_ "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!" Ed shouted as he charged again. _

_ Leon sighed and with one swift movement knocked Ed over again. He pulled out a knife from his coat pocket and tried to stab Ed. Ed blocked him by using his automail arm as a shield; leon clapped and the ground shot upwards. Ed dodged just barely by kicking off with his automail leg. When he did that a loud clunk resounded in the small room. _

_ "An automail arm and leg? You must have had a tragic past. A perfect victim," Leon laughed. _

_ Ed growled. "What the hell are you talking about? Your experiments? I am not going to be a test subject!" He lunged at Leon when suddenly there were multiple Leons. "What the hell? Coward, show me your real self!" Ed clapped his hands and transmuted the ground. It shot upwards in the various places that the illusions were. To his dismay, more kept appearing. Using his automail blade, he tried to stab one of them. After the attack, the illusion vanished. Ed sighed and clapped his hands and placed them on the ground. The ground shot upwards, wiping out three illusions. He continued at a fast pace trying to get rid of as many as possible. _

_ "Brother, look out!" Al shouted. _

_ Ed barely had time to look around when his automail arm was forcefully ripped out of its socket. Ed bit his lip holding back a scream. "D-damn bastard!" He was suddenly tripped and soon his leg was ripped off as well. Not having any way to perform Alchemy, Ed suddenly remembered that he was given a gun before the mission began. He barely got to position it when it was snatched out of his hands and pointed at him instead. _

_ "Brother! Leave him alone!" Al shouted as he tried to get free from the transmuted binds holding him captive. _

_ Ed backed away in fear. He was completely powerless. It reminded him an awful lot of his encounter with Barry the chopper. That same feeling of hopelessness and despair consumed him. Leon lifted him up by his braid and pinned him to the opposite wall. Satisfied with his work, Leon walked back over to Al. "L-leave him alone," Ed stuttered as he grew dizzy. _

_ Leon laughed. "Both of you will make fine new subjects." He grabbed Al's helmet and tugged it off. He gasped when he saw that there was nothing inside. "A soul attached to a suit of armor? How interesting." He examined the inside of the armor more when he noticed the red blood seal. He pulled out a knife and stabbed the armor right next to the seal. "I wonder, is this what keeps him bound?"_

_ Ed grew frantic to get unbound. "Stop it don't touch his blood seal!" _

_ Lean examined it closely."So I'm right, am I?" He gently scratched the seal._

_ Ed's eyes widened as he struggled to get free. "DAMN BASTARD! I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT; JUST DON'T HURT MY LITTLE BROTHER!" _

_ "Brother, you have to get out of here!" Al shouted._

_ Ed continued trying to get free. "I'm not gonna leave you behind Al!" _

_ Leon threw Al's helmet back on and walked over to Ed. "Anything, you say? Well a boy with a brother that lost his body and he himself only having two real limbs must have had a tragic past. I can only imagine the amount of negative energy that would flow from you. I'd be unstoppable!" _

_ Ed glared at him. "D-damn you." _

_ Leon laughed and transmuted a large pole. "Sweet dreams." Ed saw the pole flying towards his face and then it all went to black._

"Are you okay?" a voice asked. When Ed's eyes flew open, he found he was in a bed. He looked around; It certainly wasn't his apartment. When he looked to his left, he saw Anton there. "Man, you've been out for hours. I was getting worried."

Ed groaned and sat up. "I'm fine. I just regained my memories, that's all. What time is it?"

Anton glanced at the clock on the wall. "Five twenty."

Ed jumped out of bed. "Oh great, I'm late for picking my little brother up! Thanks for taking care of me but I gotta go."

"Wait! You sure you're okay?"

Ed ran to the door. "I'm positive. Thanks, and see you soon!" Before Anton could say anything else, Ed shut the door and ran down the street. He could see Headquarters up ahead so thankfully he knew where he was at. He had no idea Anton lived so close. After running at full speed he reached the daycare. When he got there Al and Maria were sitting down talking.

Al looked over at Ed panting and ran over. "Brother! Are you okay?"

Ed looked up at him. "I'm fine, sorry for being late."

"I've got to go Alphonse, I hope to see you soon," Maria said as she took Reina's hand.

"Alright, thank you for keeping me company."

"It's my pleasure."

Reina looked up at Al and waved. "Bye Alipoo!"

Al laughed and waved. "Goodbye Reina."

As they walked back to their apartment Ed shivered. 'It's all my fault. If I hadn't charged at him, I wouldn't be here.' He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Brother, are you okay?"

Ed put on his facade and smiled. "I'm fine, Al."

Al crossed his arms and glared at him. "Brother, how can you say you're fine? You're trembling!"

As they walked up the stairs Ed made sure Al was in front of him. "It's nothing, Al."

When they reached their room Al sighed. "It's not nothing! I just want to help you."

Ed sat down at the kitchen table with a sigh. "Enough, Al."

"No! Why do you shut me out when I'm just trying to help? You're not fooling me. Please, tell me what's going on. Why were you so late? Why do you look so sad?"

Ed groaned. This was obviously one of those days where no matter what he told Al, he wouldn't back down. He wondered if that would be a bad thing. At the rate they were going, they weren't getting out of there anytime soon. What if getting the illusions on their side would help? What if that was the missing key? With a sigh, Ed looked up at him. "Fine Al, I'll tell you."

** Please review if you enjoy ^^**


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